Battle of Wills
by misspandalily
Summary: Every year, Konohagakure's most powerful (and pompous) group of fighters are pitted against Sunagakure's formidable crew of rowdy delinquents in a competition of supernatural prowess and mental potency to strengthen the alliance between their two countries. But with a dark force on the rise, coupled along with unexpected feelings, will this tournament be more than they expected?
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi! Some of you may know that I have written the prologue of this story not too long ago, but then deleted it. My apologies for doing so, but I ran out of ways to connect the prologue with the actual story and thus decided to rewrite and re-adjust the plot as well as the story itself. Again, I apologise profusely for the inconvenience.**

**Thank you so much to the two lovely reviewers Ichigo-san and FruitySmell for providing a lot of insight and advice for my story. Much appreciated! :D**

**So, here is my new and revised story, _Battle of Wills, _hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

* * *

_Throughout the history of the shinobi world, three major wars have taken place. The First Great Shinobi War, which took place not long after Konohagakure was established, involved the majority of shinobi villages and countries. Twenty or so years passed by in peace after this first War, but the economic discrepancy between the countries had become a serious problem and soon the countries had started using military force to expand their territories, thus forming The Second_ _Great Shinobi War. _

_Years later, due to a decline in power, the reign of the Five Great Countries was deteriorating, and skirmishes with smaller nations broke out frequently along their borders. The prolonged war gradually spread its fires far and wide, until at last it developed into the Third Great Shinobi World War. Of all the Shinobi Wars that have occurred throughout the existence of shinobi, the Third Great War was said to be the worst - even children from the most powerful villages were sent out to fight, their lives literally defined as a fleeting moment. _

_In the midst of this atrocious shinobi battle, however, a group named Akatsuki was said to have been formed, supposedly from Amegakure. With the oppression that the organisation's home faced during The Third Great War, the group's alleged intial goals were to fight against this tyranny, along with the long-term goal of world peace. However, in a battle with the famous Hanzo of the Salamander, Yahiko - student of the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya, and leader of the Akatsuki- sacrificed himself for the group to survive and bring peace to the world.  
_

_But as time passed on, ideals became twisted and fearsome S-ranked criminals joined the ranks. Eventually the organisation's name spread universally and had become feared amongst all of the Five Great Country's leaders for the raw power they displayed in battle (one of those witnessed being Deidara of Iwagakure, who was reported to have the ability to create extremely deadly explosives out of clay, seemingly out of thin air). Those who have opposed and fought against the Akatsuki never made it back to their loved ones alive.  
_

_Along with the escalating might of the Akatsuki came the mounting terror felt by the Five Great Countries. The threat of a Fourth Great Shinobi War erupting while all five shinobi villages and their people alike were barely recuperating from the terrifying outcomes of the Third Great War was too much, and the world fell into chaos. The Akatsuki, sensing this catastrophy, made its first move. Millions of people perished from the tragic bombs of the organisation and shinobi leaders were faced with crumbling power, volatile riots, dwindling populations and finally, a power-hungry group ready to conquer the world. _

_With threats of war becoming reality, the Five Great Shinobi Villages finally went into action. An alliance was made by the two villages Sunagakure and Konohagakure, whilst the minimal blacksmiths there were immediately set to work forging weaponry for shinobi and skilled fighters; strategists, village elders and Kages gathered around in tiny huts planning their military strategies, food sources were ever-so-slowly increasing and shinobi trained day and night in preparation for war with the meager resources they were given. _

_Several days passed before rumours of strange activities reached the ears of all Kages - an abundance of supernatural spirits were reported to have been spotted "'frolicking' around in the coldest of rocky climates, bathing in the scorching hot waters of frightening lakes, leaping around in the burning lava of volcanoes, and coming out alive - an overall peaceful race despite their frightening abilities." Taking immediate action, all Kage sent out the most skilled of shinobi to investigate this phenomenon and somehow capture these beings before returning to their respective villages with their findings - such abilities were not to be wasted in such desperate times.  
_

_All shinobi who have accomplished the journey to the rumoured "spiritual territory" came back with hundreds of these beings, bringing pride and honour to their name and nation. With military power exponentially increasing in every village as a result of the harnessing of the powers of the supernatural beings (named Shinjinbukai - godly), trade routes opened up in every village and war-torn countryfolk were able to enter the villages and register themselves as citizens. This period, as brief as it was, was a time of relative peace - away from the stressfulness of wars. _

_But with the reports rapidly becoming widespread, a powerful organisation - momentarily forgotten with the discovery of Shinjinbukai - rose from its depths and seized the remaining few of these spirits. The Akatsuki, furious with the the Five Countries for so readily overlooking them, absorbed the abilities of their captured Shinjinbukai before suddenly disappearing from the rapid overdose of power._

* * *

_A new, albeit unexpected, era of peace took place after the disappearance of the Akatsuki (whose whereabouts became unknown despite the strenous efforts of all Five Nations), and many villages prospered. Pleased with the sudden vanishing of the notorious group, leaders refocused their attention to the Shinjinbukai. _

_Various experiments were carried out on these life-forms and soon, the long-term exposure to them revealed shocking, yet amazing breakthroughs. Those performing tests on the Shinjinbukai were reported to have had their abilities enhanced purely by being around the spirits (one of the first reported to have heightened abilities due to this long-term exposure being one of the Legendary Sannin's Senju Tsunade, whose well-known medical skills and monstrous strength were rumoured to have surged to unfathomable lengths). _

_Another discovery was made months later when a man became "one" with a Shinjinbukai after being assigned to take care of the particularly volatile spirit. The man gained the abilities of that Shinjinbukai, altered to suit his own skills and thus became the first Gensho although unlike those whose skills were only enhanced, his chakra was replaced with the spirit of the Shinjinbukai, which flowed through his veins. Excited from this sudden unearthing, this process of "spiritbonding" occurred with many shinobi and commonfolk in the hopes of obtaining these gifts, but those whose bodies were incompatible instantly passed away. _

_Only one hundred people worldwide have successfully "spiritbonded", the remaining thousands of spirits also passed away from the strenuous efforts of the humans trying in vain to bond with the Shinjinbukai._

* * *

_Generations passed and the number of Gensho rose, which revealed the abilities to be genetically inherited. Separate Academies have been established to educate the young Gensho to hone their skills to perfection for combat, and for them to undertake vigorous training in order to undergo missions at their appropriate age, similar to shinobi. However, unlike shinobi, Gensho entered their Academy at 15 years of age up until the year they become 19 years old since the power of the Gensho must be monitored and supervised at such an age due to the fact that it was the year a Gensho's powers begun to manifest. Prior to their enrolment into their respective Academy, Gensho were entitled to either attending a normal school to have an education, or be home-schooled.  
_

_Five high-class Academies were established internationally;_

_Konohagakure's **Gensho Academy of the Leaf;**_

_Sunagakure's **Gensho Academy of the Sand**;  
_

_Kumogakure's **Gensho Academy of the Lightning**;  
_

_Kirigakure's ** Gensho Academy of the Mist**; and  
_

_Iwagakure's **Gensho Academy of the Rock.**_

_True to the alliance formed between Sunagakure and Konohagakure, one elite team from each of the two esteemed Academies come together to compete in the annual Gensho Tournament to strengthen the treaty between their countries and have the opportunity to form personal bonds, as well as attracting clients for their upcoming careers.  
_

_Gensho aged between 15 and 16 are to compete in mini-tournaments between villages in their own countries in conjunction with lessons in their Academy to prepare them for future battles prior to their graduation. Once reaching 17 years of age, a Gensho enrolled in the Academy is able to legitimately enter the Gensho Tournament, but can only compete if they are deemed worthy by their instructors..._

* * *

**Aaaand, that's it with the prologue! I'm glad I got that out of the way. Honestly, I cannot express how much thinking this chapter took - never thought it'd be difficult to write the first chapter. **_**  
**_

**The next chapter might come out in either a few days or a few weeks depending on my personal schedule. **

**Hope you enjoyed it! :D**

**(Please review, constructive criticism and suggestions welcomed!)**

**_~misspandalily  
_**


	2. Filler: Animi Fractus

**And I have returned~!**

**Fun fact; the '~' symbol is actually called a 'tilde'. ****IT HAS A NAME O:**

**Enjoy the story! :D**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. At all.**

* * *

The last thing Senju Tsunade ever wanted to do was become the principal of Konoha's Gensho Academy. But how, just _how, _could she refuse such a request from the distinguished Sandaime Hokage himself? It wasn't like he couldn't have chosen someone else to do the job - someone much, _much_ more willing than she'd ever be. It wasn't like she was the best candidate for the job, heck, anything to do with being in charge of a group of horny, volatile teenagers gave her the worst headaches - ever. And it _certainly_ wasn't because she was the most responsible one of his three students; _what, with all that gambling and drinking I do - and on a regular basis, in fact? _

But one thing led to another and she found herself sitting in a well-furbished office with a stack of paperwork and application forms positioned innocently on her mahogany desk. _I shouldn't have lived this long, damn Hokage influence.  
_The only thing that stopped her from leaving that office right there and then was the handsome stranger walking into it. _Kato Dan, _was the name he introduced himself as, Vice Principal being his position.

He taught the Advanced Combat class, as assisting the next generation of Konoha's Gensho was his aspiration. From the amount of time she spent watching him teach his class, he was a kind and patient man who deeply cared for his village and students. Although all the admiration from single mothers (as she jealously noted) did not remain unbeknownst to him, she watched him give them a few words of encouragement to their children before resuming his class with a satisfying smile. It's not like he _wasn't_ attractive; long, pale-blue hair and dark green eyes that drew her in every time she- no. He was merely her employee, and this was a _school, _for heavens sake, not that ridiculous Mountain Jiraiya always rambled on about. Exactly.

_'Principal Senju,' _he said once to her after his lessons had finished for the day, '_is anything wrong? You seem to be er, supervising my class every single hour these days..._' At those words she quickly stammered something to do with the graffiti on the other side of school before scurrying off to any place away from _him, _but she swore she heard faint chuckles coming from where she departed - _elegantly _- from.

* * *

She wasn't an idiot. She wasn't someone who was completely clueless as to what _it _was. But when the realisation finally came upon her, it was like a ton of bricks. She, the Legendary Sannin, _granddaughter_ of the _Shodai Hokage, Senju Tsunade, _was in _love_ with Kato Dan. It wasn't as if he was an unskilled Gensho, hell, his skills were _legendary, _and to top it off he was a gentle, caring man who cared nothing about his appearance as long as he could help those in need_. __Unlike me. He's too good for me. He spent years teaching these kids how to perform the simplest to the most complex of techniques without thinking badly of them. All I ever do is sit around and complain. _

Tsunade suddenly lifted her head off her desk and stood up with sudden resolve. _If I'm not good enough for him, I'll have to make myself worth it - for him and for me._ She sat back down and flipped through her files to search for any Gensho Healing classes. _Bingo. _With a rare, bright smile she began scrawling down her plans for a more advanced Healing class to be established, leaving a certain blue-haired man standing awkwardly at her door, waiting for her acknowledgement.

* * *

Seeing as it wasn't going to happen any time soon, he strode over to her desk and lifted up her chin while smiling down at her. Wide brown eyes stared back at him as he suddenly let go, trying to suppress the blush from creeping up his face. _'Why are you here?' _she asked. He gulped and took note of his sweaty palms before finally looking at her and gathering the courage to ask her, _"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" _Then she would say yes and he would smile before setting up the time and place, then he would walk confidently out of her office.

"You seem to be busy, Principal Senju." He internally winced with the stiffness of his tone.

"Well, yes. I've decided to begin my own Advanced Healing class, since there was only a Beginner's to Intermediate one and I happen to be skilled in this particular field so I thought, why not?"

Smiling slightly at her sparkling eyes and upbeat tone, he replied, "That's a fantastic idea, I was beginning to wonder when there would be an Advanced Healing class. In fact, it was the reason why I came up here in the first place." _Yeah right._

She flashed a dazzling smile at him, "Oh, thank you. Well, there's no need now. How are your classes going? It has been a while since I last supervised it."

"Classes are superb, the students really are putting in a lot of effort now. It's always good to see them improving."

"Excellent. Indeed, it is a wonder how they work so hard without losing any energy. I always thought teenagers were a troublesome bunch. Of course, from watching you teach in your lessons, it seems like that's not always the case."

"Oh?" he interjected with interest. He influenced _her? The _Tsunade?

"Yes, you have admirable qualities that I never see in teachers - or adults for that matter. It's what inspired me to get these Healing lessons underway."

"Thank you, it is an honour to be praised by one of the Legendary Sannin, and of course, my employer."

He turned around and walked out of the office when she dismissed him, both wearing giddy smiles on their faces.

* * *

"_Reporting of the Konohagakure Gensho Academy disaster: hundreds of students were evacuated from the building after a catastrophic explosion obliterated the 20-year-old Academy. Eyewitnesses say that the explosion was not caused by a bomb, but in fact was by a student when he lost his temper just moments after his teacher Kato Dan, fianc__é_ of school principal Senju Tsunade, split up a fight between the student and his classma-"  


The television screen flickered off while a voluptuous blonde woman curled up in her armchair.

"Tsunade? Would you like a drink?"

No response.

"Tsunade? Do you want food? You know that food is a good way to find comfort right?"

Tsunade literally shriveled up into a bony, old woman and curled even more to find warmth.

"Tsunade? I'll fetch a blanket for you."

A young brunette woman sighed and walked quickly up the stairs to fetch a blanket for her teacher and would-have-been-aunt. She wasn't the only one devastated with his death - her Uncle Dan was her idol and the father she never knew. After her mother's disappearance, he took her in and taught her everything he knew. A tear rolled down the woman's cheek and she hastily wiped it away when she heard a crash from inside the living room.

"Tsunade! I heard a crash and rushed down here. Is everything alright?"

The aged woman looked up slowly. When her eyes rested upon the young woman's face, she erupted into tears.

"Shi-Shizune."

Shizune rushed over to help her up onto the armchair and hugged the weeping woman tightly, making soothing sounds to ease the elderly woman's pain.

"I know it's hard, Tsunade. I lost my mother at a young age, but Uncle brought me out of my misery and gave me a new life- a fresh start. He taught me how to treasure my loved ones, nurture the young ones, and care for the elderly. You of all people should know he didn't die in vain - he and that student were the only ones who were killed in that acciden-"

"ACCIDENT? YOU CALL THAT AN ACCIDENT?"

Stumbling back a little from the sudden outburst, Shizune tried to calm her down, but to no avail.

"AN ACCIDENT, SHIZUNE," she screeched hysterically, "AN ACCIDENT! THAT WAS NO ACCIDENT. I KNOW THAT BOY. HE HAS COMPLETE CONTROL OVER HIS POWER. DO YOU HEAR ME? YOUR UNCLE WAS A GREAT MAN. HE TAUGHT ME, STUBBORN OLD ME, TO LOVE PEOPLE TOO! I LOST MY BROTHER DURING THE WAR, I LOST ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS DURING THE WAR - BECOMING AN IMMORTAL, OF ALL THINGS, WAS HIS GOAL. MY OTHER TEAMMATE IS TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD WRITING PORN AND VISITING PROSTITUTION HOUSES WHILE I WAS TRACKED BY THE GODDAMN HOKAGE TO BECOME A PRINCIPAL OF A DAMN SCHOOL. HE TAUGHT ME to nurture, to care, for these students - and I did. I taught, I loved, it was as if the school became a part of me. I loved it. I loved the kids, I loved the old brick buildings - I loved _him._ But what did I get in return? I got nothing. I lost everything. I don't even have his bloody body to bury. At least let me bury him in peace, is that too much to ask?"

_Aunt Tsunade, you didn't lose everything. You still have me, and I still have you. We're not alone, we have the whole of Konoha on our side. I hope you realise that people still love you - as an aunt, as a friend, as an idol, and in Uncle Dan's case, a lover. He'll always be with you, Tsunade, in your heart._

* * *

**It broke my heart to make him die, but it's for the story, trust me. That's probably what Kishimoto said as well...**_  
_

**R.I.P. Dan**

**I still need to work on my dialogue, but hopefully it'll improve drastically as the story goes on. **

**Chapter 2 done, next chapter will be getting into the story!**

**Please Review! :D**

**~misspandalily**


	3. Adrogans

**A/N: Chapter 3 is now up! I'm in this phase where all I can focus on is this story - it can't be good for me. Wait, maybe it is.. Anyways, special thanks to Akatuki and Ichigo-chan for reviewing! Like, seriously guys. I love getting reviews, not only because it's a great way of receiving advice, but that they give me a lot more incentive to go on with the story, and follows/favourites really help a lot too. :)  
**

**I recently started a game (like, today) called Bakery Story and I am getting waay to addicted to it. Completely unrelated to this topic, so...**

**Enjoy! :D  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Good weather, check. Clean office, check. Building constructions complete, check. Did I win the lottery? Yes. _Shit,_ i_t's going to be a bad day. _

"Shizune, my office. Now. Summon Jiraiya too. AND BRING IN SOME SAKE."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

The busty blonde kunoichi interlocked her fingers and rested them under chin, waiting for her two employees to arrive. _Thank god these constructions were finished last year, I don't know how much more stress I could handle with all the hiring costs. _A young woman burst into the office with a piglet in her arms, chest heaving from all the running. She straightened herself up after a few seconds of catching her breath and begun to report to her employer when a sudden crash and scream filled the hallway.

"U-um, Principal Tsunade, I-"

"Where's Jiraiya? Where's my sake?"

Shizune placed the piglet on the ground and crossed her arms over her chest. "Tsunade, you _know_ that drink isn't good for you, and neither is gambling, for that matter. If you would just _listen_ to what I tell you for once-"

"Shizune, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. When was the last time I passed out from over-drinking? I'm a _medic_, one of the best, might I add. Do you doubt me that much?"

"No, but-"

"No 'buts'. Now, where is that fool I ordered you to bring?" No reply came from her personal assistant.

"Well?"

"He's..gathering information," she answered timidly. A vein popped up on Tsunade's head as she fought to maintain composure. _I see._ Just then, a tail of spiky white hair appeared, revealing a burly man dressed predominantly in red, grinning ear to ear at her through the window. He opened the hatch and climbed over the sill, tripping over in the process and landing flat on his face.

Shizune rushed over to help the man up as Tsunade sighed and walked over to him with ominously echoing steps. He looked up, terror evident in his features, and winced with every step she took towards him.

"_Gathering information, Jiraiya?_ You're lucky this school is brand new and I'm on a tight budget, or else you would've had to say goodbye to that pathetic little head of yours."

"Sorry, ma'am."

She gave him one last glare and walked quickly over to her desk, sitting down in her seat while Shizune and Jiraiya made light conversation.

"So, Shizune, brand new, eh? So where did all the Genshos study during that time?"

"We used the training arena in the Hokage building and a few other large areas as a substitute. Principal Tsunade helped redesign the entire Academy and as you can see, it's a lot more advanced in terms of architecture and technology. We're extremely proud of the new gym she designed and of course, the left wing of the Academy which is strictly reserved for those participating in the Tournament." _Although the costs were a huge pain... Honestly if it weren't for all those filthy-rich clans being so obsessed with providing the best facilities for their children and chipping in over half of the expenses, we would've been broke. It's a relief all buildings were completed in that ridiculously short time frame we were given - reconstructing 20 years worth of history in just two years, and with extra facilities too?_

"The Gensho Tournament is rapidly approaching."

This announcement caught the attention of the two employees. After all, the Tournamentwas _the_ most popular competition in the Gensho world, and with all the preparation it took - arenas, accommodations for participants, food, seating areas for audiences, location negotiations, contracts, insurance, not to mention renewing the _Alliance-_

"Already, Tsunade? You sure work fast." spoke up Jiraiya.

"I've been planning during years we've had to rebuild this school, Jiraiya. We're lucky Suna's Academy allowed us some time to get the construction done. They've had a long wait, too. You both know that it's to strengthen the-"

"Alliance between the two nations. I know, I know. So, where's it going to be?"

"The Forest of Death," spoke up Shizune.

"FOREST OF-"

"Jiraiya, shut it. I know that it's dangerous to compete there, but they need experience - experience that's as close to being real as possible. It's absolutely necessary for them to compete in those conditions, especially since they're going up against opponents who fight ruthlessly - _especially_ since there are rarely ever any threats of war or revolts in these peaceful times they're living in."

"Yes, yes, yes. But, aren't the Chunin Exams on in that exact same place?"

"It's only a month-long competition - more than enough to finish up and allow space for the shinobi to organise their own exams."

"Tsunade, do you have a list of who will be competing?" asked Shizune.

"If you mean a list of possible candidates to partake in the Tournament, then yes, but I haven't read the file yet."

"I heard from the teachers that they're considering allowing Naruto to take part," Jiraiya puffed up proudly. Taking him in after his parents had passed away, the Toad Sage taught the young boy everything he knew - although teahing him ninjutsu and genjutsu was a lost cause on the Gensho boy - from hand-to-hand combat to 'keeping your cool in tough situations' (which often lead to Jiraiya turning red-hot in hot springs - not just because of the climate, mind you - and Naruto trailing grumpily after him).

"Indeed, he has shown remarkable improvement after his extensive training period with you. You've done well. In fact, he's on the recommendation list."

"Who else is on the list, Principal Tsunade?" asked Shizune.

"Hyuga Neji."

* * *

A tall, pale-skinned boy sauntered down the hallway and rounded on a particular rowdy duo of boys surrounding a timid-looking girl. Her eyes widened at the sight of the ghostly male and the corners of her lips tipped upwards as a greeting, but all formalities were lost to him as he clutched the shirts of boys, then threw them against the lockers, leveling their faces with his. Quivering in their shoes, they squirmed to free themselves from his grasp, to no avail, and the boy smirked.

"Weak."

Heads turned in the corridor as he suddenly dropped the two boys to the ground and scowled, immediately chasing them off. The scowl disappeared, revealing a chiseled and handsome face reflecting a character perfectly capable of making decisions without resorting to violence of any kind. _Looks can be deceiving_, he thought to himself.

"Neji-niisan."

He turned around at his name, having completely forgotten about the presence of the timid female who stood behind him the entire time, watching him petrify two of her classmates. Her facial expression morphed from content to infuriated in a matter of seconds. _Clearly, she was not somebody to be reckoned with._

"How could you, niisan? You knew those boys were innocent, yet you grabbed them by their collar and _choked_ them! They were trying to make friends with me! Do you know how hard it is for me to have friends nowadays, with you and father breathing down my back and telling me who I can and can't talk to?"

"I understand, H-"

"NO! You don't understand at all! In fact, did you even see my smile back there? I was _happy! _When was the last time I told anyone that, Neji? Never! Do you know how lonely it is, only being allowed to talk to those you two approve of? Do you even know how many are favoured by you? One, and she died last year!"

Shocked by the sudden outburst, Neji's expressionless mask faltered for a second before he pulled himself together and calmly replied, "It was her fault she couldn't handle the pressure our Academy required of her to-"

"_Her fault_ she died? Do you have any compassion, Neji? Any at all? Do you-"

"_Could the followin__g students Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, H-"_

* * *

"-yuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee, Nara Shikamaru and Inuzaka Kiba have all arrived outside your office, Principal Tsunade."

"Thank you, Shizune, you can leave it all to us now."

* * *

**Oooooooooohhh, what's going to happen next?  
**

**In due time, everyone, in due time..**

**So, how was it? Reviews please! :D**


	4. Conventus

**A/N: I have returned with my new chapter~ Thanks to the reviews from Fruity Smell and Ichigo-chan, you guys really made my day!  
**

**To Ichigo-chan: **To be honest, I don't think favouriting is a word, but it just seemed to fit in with what I trying to say, so I thought, why not? Oh pssh, follow/favourite or not, you're my main reviewer and your comments really help me with all the plotting out of my next chapters and how to improve the story, love your reviews. Dw, it does help, no one's holding it against you. :) **  
**

I guess while I was writing these chapters I knew that I wasn't explaining much in terms of the present time-setting of the story (I don't think that's a legitimate phrase, but going with it anyway!), but I'm getting to it in this chapter and most likely the next, since there's quite a lot happening behind the scenes - right, not all (of course). I didn't confuse me, surprisingly, since I get confused a lot.

Oh, the girl who died will be talked about shortly (in a span a chapter...or three), but at this point in time she is an anonymous schoolgirl, since I can't think of a name for her. :P It's not Tenten, btw, 'cause I have a lot in store for Tenten later on. :D

Pfft, primate power! _That_ is an extremely good suggestion. In fact, it is one of her abilities (plus some more). All of their powers will be revealed shortly~! I love X-men, it's so cool and yea, Magneto (however twisted his ideals can be) has pretty neat superpowers. Grats to your Grandma! :D

Peace to you too!

**Now, presenting... Chapter 4!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything else, except for this story plot, and the supernatural beings, I do not own the Japanese language, I do not own anything that is already own. Anything else that isn't owned is mine, unless it's not, but that's defeating the whole purpose of saying that sentence before. ^^ (I do not own that either, but I wish I did.)**

* * *

"_Could the followin__g students Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, H-"_

"-yuga Hinata, Haruno Sakura, Rock Lee, Nara Shikamaru and Inuzaka Kiba have all arrived outside your office, Principal Tsunade."

"Thank you, Shizune, you can leave it all to us now."

* * *

"You may enter."

Seven students filed into the lavishly decorated office, each face showing a different emotion, and stood in a horizontal line facing two of Konohagakure's Legendary Sannin - one of whom was gazing upon the students with a serious expression, concern etched into her facial features. Her golden-brown eyes darted from one face to another, silently acknowledging those she had knew whilst sending a questioning glance to those she had not come across prior to her summoning them to the office. Her teammate stood beside her, his attempt to reduce the tension in the room caused by his female associate's intimidating scrutiny futile despite his enthusiastic expression and warm smiles. But to his surprise, all students leveled her gaze with their own expressionless masks.

_Seems like we picked well this year. _

"I assume that none of you have any idea as to why you were suddenly called to my office," spoke up the blonde woman. A few nods were given as a response and she continued. "Well, to make it short, you seven are the students who were chosen to compete in this year's annual Gensho Tournament."

Eyes widened and a few gasps filled the room at this announcement. Pure excitement fluttered across the faces of those seven students, followed by whoops of utter joy - mainly from two overbearingly loud boys situated on either side of the line, much to the chagrin of their fellow pupils.

She waited for them to settle down before carrying on, "The Academy in Suna has kindly allowed us to stall this Alliance competition for us to rebuild our school, and I presume you all know of the explosion that obliterated this Academy 2 years ago. Having delayed the competition for this long has certainly weakened our bonds with The Academy of the Sand, despite the efforts of our Sandaime Hokage. This time round, everyone, I expect the best performances from everyone - meaning from general courtesies to combat skills. You must all be on your best behaviour, and I mean you, Naruto and Lee." She shot them a glare to which they straightened up and froze on the spot, not wanting to disappoint their hot-tempered Principal. "This year, the Gensho Tournament is situated in Konoha and as the host country we must provide excellent hospitality as well as competition for them. Every body, this is crucial to both the welfare of our country and to prevent any wars from breaking out. Am I understood?"

The pupils nodded to her in understanding and a fresh-faced pink-haired girl spoke up.

"Shishou, what exactly happens in this competition?"

Tsunade glanced at her, approval directed to her favourite student as she said, "Good question, Sakura, I'm glad you asked it. Every year, one team of seven gifted students are selected from their Academy to represent their country in the Fire-Wind Gensho Tournament to strengthen the Alliance that was formed between these two countries almost 30 years ago. You all should know that much. The left wing of the school, which is strictly prohibited for all students, is where all 14 of you will be staying whilst training for the upcoming physical component of the Tournament. Each of you will all be staying in a room with a member from the opposing team to form relationships with them, obviously to build up bonds between citizens and thus between coun-"

"We're sharing rooms with _those_ Sand-rats?!"

"-tries. And Naruto, this is exactly the kind of behaviour I do _not_ want to see or hear about from anyone on this team, or you. You're extremely lucky that you were recommended to be in this competition by all the teachers, or I would have had you removed from this team."

"Naruto," Jiraiya said with a stern expression, "don't sulk about it, she's right. The people in Suna aren't like us. Both the Hidden Village and Country levels with us in terms of prosperity, but living in harsh climatic conditions means you have to be tough to survive; meaning, if you so much as insult them at any degree, they'll rip you to shreds. Be on your best behaviour, or a war will break out between the two countries."

Naruto's previously slouched shoulders straightened as a look of agreement settle across his features. "Alright, I understand, _dattebayo_."

Tsunade stood up, strode quickly over to a dark drown closet beside her desk and unlocked it before taking out a large brown box and setting it down on her desk. She turned towards the teenagers and pointed towards the box.

"You are all required to wear a uniform during the physical components of this competition, mainly your training and the...tasks given to you at the final venue. No question about that please, you will know in due time," she called out as she handed each of the students a pile consisting of a sleek, black pair of pants, a red tank top, a long-sleeved mesh shirt and a black jacket - all wrapped up in clear plastic packets and in their sizes. "You are all required to wear shinobi footwear. Make sure you keep these safe. The tank tops are red for the Fire Country, and you will soon notice that the competitors in Suna have yellow ones. Don't think too much about it. Any questions?"

"Am I allowed to bring in my dog Akamaru?" asked a spiky-haired brunette.

"If, Inuzaka Kiba, animals are a necessary tool, then yes." He grinned and turned to hi-five Naruto, who was examining every inch of his uniform.

A shy, long-haired girl raised her hand and abruptly asked, "When will the other team arrive, Tsunade-sama?"

"Three hours."

Jiraiya, who was absent-mindedly staring out the window, turned to face Tsunade with a shocked expression.

"Honestly, Tsunade, you couldn't have given me a warning? Tonight? They have a ton of packing to do, not to mention the opening ceremony and then you have lead our guests to the accommodations - have you even organised all of that yet?"

She turned her head to his direction and fired back, "Do you doubt me? All arrangements have been made and confirmed, Shizune and I have gone through everything, from the bedsheets to the security. Everything. Is. Fine. Oh, kids, best behaviour, best clothes, prepare your supplies for the next month, an information booklet is in that uniform packet, buy the shoes, you may leave now."

The students, who were watching the two Sannin argue with curious expressions, bustled out of the study_.  
_All but two students left with ecstatic faces.

"Oi, Hyuga." Hinata and Neji swiveled around to face a spiky-haired boy with a hand in his pocket and the other loosely holding on to his uniform packet. The boy rolled his eyes. "I meant the boy."

"Neji-niisan, I'll leave now." Neji nodded his head, cautiously avoiding her furious glare (which seemed to only be directed at him, strangely enough) and twisted around to face the lazy-looking boy.

"Try not to scare away everyone with that hideous glare you leave stuck to your face. It'll be even more troublesome if you anger the dragon lady in there," he pointed towards the door, "and I'm pretty sure no one wants to work with an evil statue in their team. See ya." He turned around and begun walking away, waving his free hand at the glaring Hyuga boy.

"Who are you?" asked Neji.

"Nara Shikamaru," he replied.

* * *

"Temari-san! Good luck in the Tournament!"

"Temari-san! Win the Tournament for Suna!"

Said female walked through the corridors of the school, smiling politely at every compliment shouted at her as she drew nearer and nearer to the bus waiting outside the school gates. She paused a step away from the bus entrance and looked back, waving at all the people standing behind the gates. They cheered loudly as she took a deep breath and climbed aboard the vehicle, grinning from ear to ear and she greeted her teammates.

"Hey! Took you long enough." She glared at the owner of her voice, smirking when he shrank back. She walked over to the seat in front of his on the bus, next to a slender brunette before turning back to the boy.

"Kankuro, I had real matters to deal with. At least I don't pack on a whole heap of make-up like you and Gaara do. _I'm_ supposed to be the female in the family." Kankuro scowled at her and turned to the window, plugging his earphones in and cranking up the volume on his device, completely tuning out any noises. With a triumphant smile, Temari settled down in her seat. _Looks like Ino isn't the only one obsessed with make-up. Speaking of whom..._

"Yo. Where's Ino?"

"Ugh, no idea," replied the girl seated beside her, "probably lathering on a shitload of make-up. I don't know how she does it so often and so quickly, but shit's gonna go down if she gets into this bus late."

"Relax, Tenten." A dark-haired male leaned over behind her. "If she wants make-up, give her make-up. Trust me, you don't know what she's like when she's all riled up and all..."

"Yeah, maybe because I didn't date her for a week then dump her after having sex with her, Sasuke." He smirked and leaned back into his seat, resting an arm up on his armrest.

"I'M HERE!" A platinum blonde girl rushed into the bus, doors closing behind her as she sat down next to a pale, expressionless boy. Breathing heavily, she put down her bag and turned towards Temari. "Sorry I'm late, there was this massive crowd outside and it was really hard to get through..."

Temari smiled. "Yea, shit happens. But if you left earlier, there wouldn't have been any problems with maneuvering through the crowds. Make sure it doesn't happen next time, got it?"

Ino smiled brightly at her and nodded, then attempted to start a conversation with the boy situated next to her, albeit unsuccessfully. A pale and dark-haired boy sat down behind her and muttered in her ear,

"Ignore him, Ino. Sai doesn't socialise. Why don't you sit next to me instead? Every other seat is taken, unless you want to sit next to Sai, or Gaara. Your choice."

She glowered and pushed Sasuke out of the way and moved to sit next to a silent redhead, who sent her an acknowledging glance. She grimaced and closed her eyes. _Might as well catch up on lost sleep._

The bus engine revved up and set off down the road, leaving a trail of people cheering noisily behind it as it headed towards the Hidden Village of the Leaf...

* * *

**This was a longer chapter than the others...**

**In case anyone was wondering, the uniforms are standard blazer-suit-shirt-suit-pants for boys and blazer-suit-shirt-black-skirt-stockings for girls. Not very creative, but I'm focusing more on the actual competition than the school lessons itself.**

**And yes, Ino, Sai, Tenten, and Sasuke and in Suna. For this plot, I'm just going to stick with them actually being born and raised in Suna for the sake of the story and character development. **

**Well, the main characters of this story have been introduced! There will be a few more, but that's basically it.**

**Hope you enjoyed it, please review! :)**

**~misspandalily**


	5. FIdes

**A/N: Boom, chapter 5! :D Sorry, everyone for taking so long to update, and hopefully this chapter makes up for it. Big thanks to Lili Bibi, Fruity Smell and Ichigo-chan! :)  
**

**To Fruity Smell:** Yea, MAGNETO! He's a pretty cool villain, like, one of those evil people who aren't completely blinded by their own personal matters. He actually respects Charles X Xavier, but seriously, who wouldn't. I mean, PATRICK STEWART EVERYONE! Personally, I prefer writing about the Suna kids better since they have more character. Naruto will always be the meat-head in my mind, and Sasuke seems like a player anyway - but that just makes him easier (and more interesting) to write. :P

**To Ichigo-chan: **Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy it, and that's an awesome analogy. :)

**Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing.**

* * *

_"_Alright crew, listen up." Temari suddenly stood up from her seat. "We arrive in Konoha in just under an hour and it's about time we discuss our strategy for this Tournament, so get your lazy asses off your seats and gather around!" She grinned energetically and tapped her foot on the seat several times, waiting impatiently for her team to congregate.

"Okay, first things first. We need an image."

Sasuke raised a dark eyebrow at her. "An image?"

"Yes. We need to find a way to capture people's attention."

"Why not just go in normally. That's what all the other teams did in the past."

Temari nodded her head in agreement. "But then it'd be boring. This year, we want people to notice us. We want them to really focus their attention on _us_, and let's face it: if we just waltzed in and back out like all the previous Suna competitors, for which team will the audience cheer for? And what about all those potential clients watching us, whose team would they choose?"

"Konoha's team." piped up Ino, "Good point, so what are we aiming for?"

Temari smiled. "Well, this year our team definitely has something all the other teams never had. Spunk. Just think, we can use this _spunk_ to our advantage - I'm thinking bold and daring, but to an extent. Recklessness won't get us anywhere either."

"So," spoke up Gaara, "I see where you're coming from. This so called 'image' you want our team to keep up will indeed bring more attention to our team and its individuals, but what if our "bold and daring" attitudes attract too _much_ attention? You should know what would happen to us should we perform one little fault - not only will we be ridiculed about all around the world, our Academy's reputation will be ruined! As our team captain, you need to think this through more."

Tenten, seeing the unconvinced expression on her best friend's face, quickly interjected. "Temari, as much as your idea is fantastic, Gaara's right. We need to discuss this more as a group and set some ground rules before we commence, especially with the attention we'll be gathering later on."

Gaara shot her a rare, grateful smile to which she returned happily.

The entire group, who sat awkwardly around each other with the sudden tension in the air, turned towards Temari. Only then she realised the plan she thought was flawless could bring severe consequences to many people. Keeping up an image, as she thought, wasn't just a way to attract attention. It was to make sure their true abilities -supernatural and mental - lay hidden in themselves before the Final Battle of the competition. Although it was an Alliance Tournament, and bonding was one of the main goals, some secrets needed to be kept in the dark.

Temari sighed. "Alright, I get it. So, rules. Number one: No-"

"No violating anyone on the other team." Kankurou exclaimed, earning several shocked glances. "What? It's bound to happen! If not by Mr. Uchiha over there, then by Konoha's team. And if that happens, we'll be the better looking ones!"

"Captain," Sai suddenly joined the conversation. "If I may suggest something. I read in this book here that creating nicknames for your comerades indicates strong friendship between people. Perhaps if we make nicknames for each other, it will show our audience that we are a closely-knit team? If I may request something else: May I have the honour of creating these nicknames for us to use?""

Several eyes, then widened, looked at him in surprise. Then with a joyous laugh, Temari hugged Sai, surprising the boy. "Sai! You're a genius! Alright everybody, let's set to work. We don't have much time left."

She clicked her fingers and barked orders to her team members, who willingly obliged, knowing there was no way Temari would be distracted once she started something. Sasuke, who took a moment to observe the bustling scene before him, smirked at his leader's imperious commands to the two other females in his group ("Ten, I don't care if you hate make-up, this is for the _team_. Now, go, go, go!"). He watched them bicker back and forth with Temari, whose face was becoming redder by the minute as more they refused to co-operate with her ludicrous demands. Several objects flew around the bus as Temari finally snapped -

"_All of this arguing! You_ will_ work together, Ino. and You will wear make-up, Tenten. DO you hear me? And Sasuke, do what I told you to do or I swear I will cut off your-"_

He narrowly avoided a sharp object flying in his general direction and chuckled. _Looks like those two work together better than they think._

* * *

To say Konohagakure was in a state of anxiety was an understatement. It was the _epitome_ of cluttered chaos. With only twenty or so minutes to spare before the arrival of their Suna guests, and a number of tasks to be completed before the Opening Ceremony, everyday citizens, shinobi and Gensho alike were zooming around the Village in preparation for the month's events.

Amidst the confusion, a slim, dark-haired girl clad in black trudged up a grassy hill. She bore a bouquet of white flowers which were reflected in her equally-white eyes - now glassy from tears which threatened to pour down her heart-shaped face.

She arrived at the top and walked towards a humble-looking gravestone. Ever so carefully, she knelt down to place the flowers in a plain white vase in front of the stone and wiped off heavily-accumulated dust resting on the metal plaque. _Hyuga Hina_, it read. The girl closed her watery eyes, allowing a tear to trickle down her cheek.

"Hinata, Hinata!"

Shocked, she opened her still-teary eyes and looked around. No one was there. Slowly, she rested her right hand on the ground before closing her eyes again.

"Byakugan," she whispered, as the veins around her temples bulged. Her senses were suddenly heightened while she searched deep under the ground. Over vast expanses she connected with the passing trees, the healthy green grass as if swayed with the wind. Everything she set sight on rejoiced. Every rock, every leaf, even the bubbling brook that ran its course near the Hyuga mansion gurgled in delight. Millions of voices were whispered into her ear - some loud, some soft, some curious. She was one with nature.

A sudden snap of a twig and its agonizing shout nearby caused her to jolt out of her trance and she quickly tracked down the perpetrator. _N-Naruto-kun?_ True to her vision, a blonde-haired boy in the Gensho Tournament uniform was approaching her - fast. She deactivated her Byakugan and hurriedly said her prayers to the gravestone before she hastily stood up, brushing off the dirt on her pants.

"Naruto-kun, i-is anything wrong?" she asked as said boy appeared before her, barely out of breath from running continuously up the steep hill. He seemed to have not heard her question, as he suddenly peered past her shoulder at her mother's tombstone. His eyes, so full of life only a few seconds ago, were downcast. She had only seen Naruto look this depressed once in her entire life.

_It was during her first encounter with him at his parents' funeral. It had been a morose day for the villagers of Konoha, mourning the death of their youngest - and without a doubt, strongest - Hokage and his lively wife. She vaguely remembered being dressed in black clothes and afterwards clinging on to her mother's hand as they strode towards the funeral site._

_They stood in their respective places among the Hyuga clan. She peeped out from behind her mother's legs, curiously looking around at the grief-stricken faces surrounding her. Hundreds of people dressed in the same colour as she wept miserably - but as her eyes ventured from one face to another, a high-pitched sob caught her attention. She looked towards the source of the abrupt noise. A young boy was sobbing inconsolably at the feet of a burly white-haired man. Hinata expected someone to_ _usher him out of the crowd - just like she always witnessed when young Hyuga children cried. Surprisingly, no one did. _

_"Okaa-san, who is he?" The young girl directed her mother's gaze to the still-weeping blonde boy. _

_"He is the Yondaime Hokage's son, Hinata."_

A rapid gust of wind brought Hinata out of her thoughts. She looked towards Naruto, who was now kneeling in front of the memorial stone. His body was tense, for reasons unknown to the girl, so she slowly approached him, careful not to make any noises lest she distract him from his thoughts.

"Hyuga Hina," he said. Hinata tilted her head inquiringly at him, although he could not see it as his back was turned towards her. "Is she your mother?"

This time he turned his head to the side to look at her. She could see the faintest traces of tears which no doubt streaked down his face earlier. Hinata nodded slowly, unsure of how he knew this connection. Since her mother's death 13 years ago, few outside the clan knew of the relationship between her and her mother.

Naruto smiled, not his usual overenthusiastic grin, but a small and sincere one. "You look just like her. Your mother, I mean. Seems you inherited her kind personality as well."

She blushed, not used to receiving compliments - and from _Naruto_, too. His smiling face returned to its previous, mourning state and turned back to face the stone. Hinata, positive that it was now safe to come near him, took a deep breath and stepped forward. Several more steps followed and soon she too was kneeling beside him, hands resting on her lap.

How did he know her mother? It was uncommon, if not rare, for her mother to leave the Hyuga estate for reasons other than village-wide events. Surely he could have had no way of meeting her?

"Hey, Hinata. I think it's time I told you this, but-"

A loud, booming noise sounded in the distance, startling the two. Fire crackers and a series of majestic trumpet blares could be heard. _We had a festival?_

"Oh shoot!" the boy exclaimed suddenly. Hinata shot him a surprised glanced. "I just remembered why I came here. We have to get back to the Hokage Monument for the Tournament."

She widened her eyes in understanding. How could she have forgotten all about that? Thank goodness she remembered to put on her uniform before.

"Y-yes, we should get going now, s-shouldn't we?" He grinned at her and stood up, silently sending his prayers to the tombstone before quickly grabbing her hand. She felt blood rush to the top of her head immediately and was on the verge of passing out when she heard Naruto's panicked yelling.

"Hinata! Hinata! Oh my gosh, what do I do? Hinata, don't faint now, Neji'll kill me! HINAT- oh might as well."

She felt her legs being lifted off from the ground by a strong pair of arms and blushed straightaway after realising who the owner of the pair of arms was. She felt the wind nipping past her and Naruto carried her towards the Hokage Monument before promptly passing out.

* * *

**Yea, it has been quite awhile, hasn't it?  
**

**Again, I'm so sorry about the tardiness of my updates. :(**

**Hope you enjoyed this one! :D**

**~misspandalily**


	6. Inventum

**A/N: Thank you all so much for not blowing up at me for the late update. It really touches my heart. :) **

**For those who don't know, Hinata's power -as I briefly introduced to you in the last chapter- is environmental empathy. It's kind of hard to explain, but to put it simply, she has the ability to understand anything connected to her surrounding environment (environment being rocks, plants, waterfalls, creeks, the wind, etc.) and even control them.  
**

**Thanks to Ichigo-chan...for reviewing!  
**

**_To _Ichigo-chan_:_**Yup, I'm alive~ I missed writing this story too, but my schoolwork increased exponentially, so I had to pause the writing (uh, typing) until it all settled down. And I'm a girl. :) I'm pretty sure I saw and read your first review, so it must've been a website thing. Sorry, I'm still quite clueless about the workings of . I'm really grateful that you've been giving me advice the whole way, especially since this _is_ my very first fic. If I knew you in real life, then I'm pretty sure we'd be really good friends. :D

Haha, I'm still deciding on the nicknames, but thanks for the suggestions. :D Yea, I was thinking of giving Ino mind-related powers too and realised that they were indeed very similar to her family's jutsu. By the way, I started Beast of Souls after reading your suggestion. Grammatical errors aside, it is an _amazing_ story. I love how eshtarwind set out his/her plot in such a way that you just keep on expecting more from the story - and you can't get bored of it either. :D To anyone reading this, **I ****highly recommend you that you read EshtarWind's Beast of Souls. It'll be worth your time. **

Oh LOL, that's a cool friend you've got there. I have a friend who uses analogies for _everything_ (mind you, they're not the best but the way he delivers them are hilarious). Thanks for the grammar tips, and yes, I remembered to not to overload on the caps lock. I think I saw your point when I read a story which had a bit too many capitals in it, and did find it overwhelming. Thank you! :D

**Now, on with Chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Hyuga Neji was a man of honour. He strived to excel and maintained a steady golden streak in both his academics and training. He prided himself to be a level-headed, analytical thinker - especially under mountains of stress. He amazed both his teachers and classmates with his ability to be able to do almost _everything_. He was quickly acknowledged by all throughout his village for being the Hyuga clan's _genius_, and gained quite a few (hundred) female admirers within or around his age group. He prided himself to have been able to ignore any distractions and avoid useless past-times (besides, what normal boy would want to hurl spitballs at innocent passers-by?).

But one thing he did _not _(and never will) pride himself on was the fact that everything a certain hyperactive blonde boy did infuriated him to no ends. He was the exact opposite of Neji and all he stood for. That _boy_ strived to _not_ excel and maintained a steady "loser's" streak in both his academics and training. He was _not_ a level-headed, analytical thinker - certainly not with that hot-tempered attitude of his - _especially _under mountains of stress. He amazed both his teacher and classmates with his ability to be able to do almost everything to cause trouble - in and out of school. He was quickly acknowledged throughout the village for being a _prankster_, and gained quite a few (thousand) 'haters' in all age groups. This _boy_, this _arrogant, overbearing boy_ was constantly distracted and indulged in past-times as useless and cruel as hurling spitballs at innocent passers-by.

But, to Neji's dismay, he was - with no doubt - the boy his beloved cousin was completely, and undeniably in _love_ with.

For that reason, and that reason alone, he refrained from hurling knives at the boy every time he made Hinata-sama faint or even showed symptoms of doing so - which happened to be every time the blonde was nearby. Only recently Naruto began to step up his game and to Neji's surprise, moved up from the beginner's combat classes to Neji's advanced one.

But despite his rapid improvement, nothing - _nothing _- could stop him from beating him up right then and there. When he saw Naruto running up towards the Hokage Monument, Neji's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Cradled in his arms was a limp Hinata, face ghostly white.

"Neji! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I swear I did nothing. All I did was hold her hand so we could run to the Hokage Monument faster but then she fainted! I swear, I'm innocent!" Naruto's face was red from shouting out the story to his livid teammate.

"If you weren't guilty, Naruto," he replied, voice icy cold, "then your palms wouldn't be sweating so much that you've left two wet holes on Hinata-sama's jacket. If you weren't guilty, Naruto, then your face wouldn't be as red as a tomato. You and I both know you can't get tired - it's in your Gensho. If you weren't guilty Naruto, then your eyes wouldn't be darting around in different directions."

He took a menacing step towards the shaking boy. "Give me one good - _very_ good - reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now."

"Neji, stop it. Naruto, position her on that bench." He turned around, startled after hearing his principal's commanding voice through the crowded streets. He bowed respectfully before opening his mouth to protest, but was quickly silenced by a pointed glare from Tsunade. She approached the unconscious girl, barely acknowledging the dutiful bows from her many students, and placed a hand on Hinata's head.

Naruto and Neji anxiously stood by as Tsunade closed her eyes. A soft white glow illuminated the Hyuga female's face underneath the Sannin's hand, immediately drawing colour to her cheeks. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing warm, pearlescent eyes. She sat up, clutching her head at once.

"Seems like you still need a bit of rest," Tsunade informed the now-conscious Hinata. She stood up, brushing the dirt off her pants and continued. "Sit here for a few minutes; make sure you drink lots of water and eat something. Our guests will be arriving soon."

"U-Understood, Tsunade-sama." She glanced over at her cousin, who was currently emitting a deadly aura to Naruto, who was currently oblivious to her cousin's ominous glare and was being held back at the collar by a frustrated-looking Tsunade, who refused to allow him to run off and gulp down several bowls of ramen.

"Shishou! Shishou!" A pink-haired figure was seen running towards the group, vigorously waving a hand in the air to make herself visible. "Shishou! Suna's team have arrived!"

* * *

With the arrival of a dusty white bus within the walls of Konoha came a humongous crowd which circled around it, pushing their hands against the glass windows in order to see the opposing competitors from Suna (who were hidden by dark curtain, fortunately for them). Tens of shinobi police littered the roads in a desperate attempt to repress the hordes of people while last minute touches to the central plaza were made before civilians congregated in it for the Opening Ceremony.

The bus drove on the relatively-clear road to Konohagakure's renowned mountain, of which it's five venerable leaders were etched into it's cliff faces - hence, spreading it's name far and wide as the Hokage Monument. The village's rocky terrain situated at the rear proved itself to be a reliable - and natural - defence system, thus being an excellent location to rebuild the _Gensho Academy of the Leaf. _

If a pupil in the Academy was asked to describe it's appearance, he or she would say it was _big, strong, _and a valuable asset to the village since it enhanced the town's already strong defences. But, if someone who recently moved in or was visiting the village for the first time was asked to describe it, he or she would say it was _grand _(with its white-washed walls and cobalt blue slating), _enormous_ (after all, parents from rich clans spared no expenses when "donating") and _modern_ (only state-of-the-art facilities for their precious children, of course!).

As the bus made its way up the roads to the top of the Monument, a great, looming building came into view. It turned around a corner into a parking lot, finally resting it's tired engine. Several students stepped out of the bus, staring at their sister Academy in awe (W_ell you don't see that everyday, _joked a tall team member).

Never in their life have they ever seen a building so lavishly majestic - Sunagakure's sweltering and stormy climate made sure no building (or Academy, for that matter) could remotely resemble a sparkling castle. Where sandy brown walls established their Academy's exterior walls, rich and green gardens stretched far in front of Konoha's Academy building itself, ending with freshly-cut lawns.

The most Suna's Academy Principal Baki could afford to build in their climate was a sturdy, yet ominous, sandy prison designed to keep students _in _and relaxation time _out_ - though of course, he had the Fourth Kazekage's approval on his side. Though their village was considered to be one of the most prosperous of all Five Great Villages, due to the violent winds of their land, little could be done to showcase their wealth.

All students were snapped out of their dazes and herded back to the bus to retrieve their luggage by an irritated-looking bus driver. As the students swarmed around the bus's compartments, they failed to see a brown-haired woman carrying a clothed piglet rush out from the Academy's large double doors to greet them. She hovered around them uncertainly as if waiting to be acknowledged whilst she watched them bickering back and forth ("_No, that's my make-up bag, stupid."_)

Her sudden cough startled the competitors and they abruptly dropped their bags once noticing her. She sighed.

"Good evening, Gensho competitors," she said, noticing them sheepishly pick up their disheveled bags, "I hope you had a pleasant journey to our wonderful village." _In your...rather grimy vehicle, might I add. _"My name is Shizune, and I will be in charge of your settling into Konoha's customs for the month. If you have any inquiries, please see me and feel free to talk to anyone in the village - don't worry, we're extremely friendly folk. Just a reminder, though."

Her audience, settled down from the previous ruckus, listened intently for her warning.

"The pig isn't food."

* * *

_Did she really just say- what? The pig isn't food? Heh, gotta love her devotion to it though. _

A slender brunette slung her heavy duffel bag over her shoulder and followed Shizune, who was guiding them through the school's front garden to the entrance. She caught up to a boy with brilliant red hair, uniform jacket tossed over his shoulder and hand pulling a dark brown suitcase behind him. Their uniform brown tank top exposed his many scars - and lean muscles - from years of harsh training in their Suna Academy, surprisingly pale skin glistened under the luminous rays of Konoha's sun.

"Oi, Gaara." He turned around, sharp emerald eyes softening upon recognising her. He lingered in his spot, patiently waiting for her to catch up to him before turning around and striding towards the Academy's double doors with her trailing beside him. "We finally made it."

Gaara nodded slowly. "We did, Tenten."

She smiled brightly and punched his shoulder lightly before peering up at him. He caught her look, eyes letting out a trickle of happiness before returning to it's forward gaze. _His hair's as wild as it was back then. I wonder if he's still traumatised about- _

"Buns."

_What? _"What?" She spun around and caught sight of Sai, who repeated his word again.

"Tenten-san, from now on I will call you Buns."

Gaara stopped walking and turned the side of his head around to observe the conversation taking place behind him. However, a sudden tug at his hand jerked him forward and prevented him from listening any further.

"Tenten, why are you-? All he did was call you-"

"Shut it, Gaara."

_That bastard. Once I get my hands on him again... Honestly, Buns? Couldn't he have thought of one less embarrassing for me? _

She tightened her grip on the boy's wrist - ignorant of his obvious pain - and dragged him further along the white concrete pathway, adjusting the bag strap on her shoulder every so often to keep it from falling off. As she furiously charged past Shizune to the entrance, she missed the slight blush forming on Gaara's pale face and ignored the strange looks (wolf-whistle and wink coming from a particularly amused Uchiha) casted towards her and a flustered Gaara.

Her arrival at the doorway did not appease her spirits in the slightest way, much to the chagrin of the red-headed boy whose wrist was beginning to go numb under her firm grip. However, the unexpected opening of a door to reveal a muscly man wearing a shocking green jumpsuit and orange leg and arm warmers did. But what really stunned her enough to release her grip on Gaara's wrist immediately (to his relief) was the man's glossy black bob accompanied by a pair of extremely bushy eyebrows and a set of sparkling white and pearly teeth - all together, according to Ino's books, a one-way ticket to the world of singles.

"Oh, hello there Gai-san," spoke up Shizune, "Are they ready?"

"Yes, oh youthful Shizune, our youthful crew has been prepped and pampered and is now waiting in the Hall for our youthful competitors!" The sheer volume of his voice was powerful enough to blast all 8 people off their feet, but miraculously, no such thing happened and he continued to bellow at the top of his lungs. "And what a young team we have here! Oh, Shizune, I can see the buds of their youth have only just sprouted! What do I see here? A budding romance? What is your name, little blossom? ("_Uh, Tenten."_) TENTEN-"

"That's quite enough, Gai-san. We don't want to overwhelm our guests. After all, they have only just arrived. Don't you have a few hundred more laps to complete around the village?"

"NONSENSE, Shizune-chan. I was told by the youthful Principal herself after finishing 300 laps to assign our lovely guests to their rooms! If I didn't know better, my blossoming Shizune, I'd say you were trying to be rid of me!"

A few sympathetic glances were thrown in Shizune's direction as she sighed heavily.

"Alright, competitors, welcome to the Gensho Academy of the Leaf. As you can see, our institution's recent reconstruction has enabled us to provide more rooms for our Gensho competitors as well as facilities for both teams as well as everyday students. To my right is the Academy's top martial arts instructor and training supervisor for the Gensho Tournament, Maito Gai. He will show you to your rooms and as you know, each one of you will be partnered up with someone from the opposite team. Remember, if you have any questions, please ask me or any other friendly resident. I will now hand you over to Gai-san."

With a cheerful smile, the elder brunette swiftly entered the building, leaving them behind with an overzealous man leaping around in a green jumpsuit. _It's as if she was too happy to leave us alone with him, _thought Tenten. _I don't blame her._

"NOW, my youthful blossoms, let us proceed to the Gensho Hall. I'm sure the others would not appreciate being kept waiting, would they?

* * *

The inside of the Academy was no where near as lavish as the exterior of it, but was simpler and much more sophisticated. It's pure white walls decorated by affluent artworks and black tiles practically screamed expensive and was just as distant as the rest of the building, but was less overwhelming.

As the team of seven trailed confidently behind Gai, they turned their heads to wherever he pointed out (which was everywhere) in order to memorise the positions of every important room in the Academy. Arriving in front of a set of sleek black doors, Gai took a step back and flashed his teeth at the confused competitors before leaping in the air and switching into an airborne sidekick.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

A loud crash resounded through the Hall after he unpredictably slammed (er, kicked) the doors open with his "Dynamic Entry". Several ticks of a clock echoed throughout the large assembly area while a busty woman standing at the podium fisted her hands to prevent herself from running towards Konoha's Green Beast right there and then and send him flying through the walls with a sucker punch.

The flabbergasted guest team slowly edged their way to the plush seats in front of Konoha's Gensho Academy's Principal Senju Tsunade, who was taking deep, shaky breaths - evidently to control her renowned hot temper.

"As always," she started with a strained voice, "It is a pleasure to have our guests here in Konoha for the Tournament. I would like to say a brief welcome to the competitors from Sunagakure, who I assume have had a tough journey to our village, and that you will all be sorted into your rooms for the upcoming month's competition. Our martials arts instructor Maito Gai, _who I presume you have all met,_ will assign you to them."

"OF COURSE, PRINCIPAL TSUNA-"

"Enough," she quickly cut off Gai's words, vein visibly throbbing upon her forehead. "As you can all see, Konohagakure's team are not present in the Hall. Official rules state that you will not meet them until the Opening Ceremony itself, so please be patient. Exactly ten minutes after being allocated to your rooms, please assemble in the main foyer, where you will all be taken to the festivities outside celebrating your arrival and the beginning of our countries' Alliance Tournament. Before departing, please remember to wear your best clothes for the celebration - it is a marvellous day."

With that, Principal Tsunade smiled slightly and strolled out of the Hall at the same time Gai took her place upon the podium.

"Alright, youthful children! I have successfully pinned up a sheet of paper on the noticeboard for all of you to see! I am afraid your roommates have already unpacked and settled into their respective rooms, but not to worry - I am absolutely certain that you will all find a way to personalise your section of your respective rooms. Now, GO AND DISCOVER THE ESSENCE OF YOUR YOUTH."

* * *

**Room 1 - Hyuga Neji, Gaara No Sabaku**

**Room 2 - Haruno Sakura, Sai**

**Room 3 - Rock Lee, Uchiha Sasuke**

**Room 4 - **** Inuzaka Kiba,****Yamanaka Ino**

**Room 5 - **** Uzumaki Naruto, ****Temari No Sabaku**

**Room 6 - Kankurou No Sabaku, Nara Shikamaru**

**Room 7 - ****Hyuga Hinata, ****Tenten**

"Well, shit."

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

"They didn't put me with a girl."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Hey, at least they didn't pair you up with the Uzumaki Naruto. I've heard he's so stupid that he had to take his Academy entrance test 3 times before he was accepted. Good luck with him, 'Mari."

"Yeah, yeah. Well whoever's with Uchiha'll probably have a hard time with him." Temari laughed. "I'm just glad it's not a girl - honestly, the day he settles down with a nice, headstrong girl - little Sasuke's "one true love" - will be the day I let my hair down from these four hairties."

She waved a hand around her four-pig-tailed head to emphasise her words.

"Oh yeah?" interjected a smug-looking Sasuke, "let's make a bet on it. If I find this so called "one true love" by the end of the year, then you'll let your hair down and give me all your lunch privileges for the rest of your Academy life."

Temari scoffed. _No one _ever saw her with her hair down and live to tell the tale. And _lunch privileges._ "And if you lose? Let's say you think you found "the one", but she turns out to be the last person you ever want to be with and by that time the year's up."

Sasuke seemed to think about it before letting out a smirk. "I'll be your personal slave for 6 months. You know me - Uchihas _never_ serve anyone. Besides, how hard can it be to fall in love? All I have to do is woo one of those fangirls and I'm set for life."

Tenten chuckled loudly. "If only it was that easy, Sasuke. Love isn't something as simple as that, is it Gaara?"

Said boy turned around to face Tenten, surprise evident on his face. "I guess."

"Anyway," Temari exclaimed, "it's about time we head over to our dorms. We only have 10- 5 minutes to unpack so let's go, go, GO!"

* * *

**- End of Chapter 6 -  
**

**Somewhat longer than all my other chapters (by what, 1500 words), but an improvement. :D  
**

**I apologise for the long gap between my chapters - school hasn't been letting up lately, and I had writer's block. I think there are quite a number of grammatical errors and 'iffy' sentences which have not been spotted by me yet, so it'd be a great help if you guys could let me know about them.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review! :D**

**~misspandalily**


	7. Initium

**I am so, so sorry for the extremely late update. In fact, I've been updating quite slowly over these past few weeks and again, I am terribly sorry for that. Exams have just ended and now I can finally relax. :D So, on with the story!  
**

_**To **_**Ichigo-chan:** Naw thank you! It's good to know you enjoy it. :) I'm glad you're glad that I'm glad I read it. :P I did cry at the bit where she realised the guy was her dad. IT'S SO HEARTBREAKING. Can't wait for her next chapter! No worries, I enjoy my privacy too~ So, my name is Anne and I'm currently in Year 10 in High School. Yes, I have a Deviantart account but it's rather redundant... **utrumant **is the name! Honestly, you help me with my story so much. :') Oh I know Scintazzle! She's the one who wrote Manager and Other Side Jobs! Love that story. I agree, she has some excellent tips.

_**To**_**FruitySmell****: **Yea gurl, you got one! ('.')o (here's a cookie!) Yea I really thought setting the pairings up in the same rooms was quite cliche, and besides, why do that when all these other combos will be equally as fun to write about? Yessss, he's one of my favourite Naruto adults. No worries, I'm not holding it against you for not reading/reviewing. :D

**Thank you for the reviews and follows!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

"What the hell happened in here?"

A loud crash resonated throughout Ino's room as Kankurou cautiously stepped in behind Sasuke, gaping openly at the sight before him. An assortment of dresses, shirts, pants and skirts were heaped up into what resembled colourful, bright and sparkly mountains of clothing all over the room, heavily restricting any means of movement around it. To top it all off, tubes of cream, lipstick and (almost) every other cosmetic item littered the tiny dressing table in the corner of the chamber, giving off an overwhelmingly pungent smell of overused hairspray and- _is that Temari's 'Desert Rose' perfume?_

"Kankurou? Is that you? We're in the bathroom! Just hang on a sec, we'll be right there!" The muffled sounds of his sister's voice were barely audible through the thick piles of clothing and he wandered what on earth caused such a mess in the room when he heard another crash coming from the bathroom.

"_Shit_, Tenten! That's the third time you destroyed my hair curler this week! Control your stupid voodoo stunts already!"

"Okay, Ino. One, I don't 'do' curly hair - or voodoo. You know perfectly well that I control metal, and very well at that."

"Then why the fuck do you literally bend my hair curlers into candy canes every time I approach you with one? Oh wait, I get it. It's out of spite. Are you so threatened by my presence that you feel the need to use your weird metal powers to scare me? Is that it?"

Sensing the sudden hostility in the air, Kankurou rushed to the bathroom, Sasuke right on his tail. High-pitched screams followed by the wrenching of steel pipes and shattering of glass caused Kankurou to momentarily freeze before picking up his pace. _Damn, who knew bitch fights could be this freaky?_

He halted outside the door and took a deep breath before slowly turning the knob, glancing back at Sasuke as he did so. A silent nod from the Uchiha was the signal for him to swing the door open. He did so, and was roughly yanked downwards at lightning speed, narrowly dodging a pointy-looking (what would have been) cupboard handle which lodged itself into the nearest wall.

He slowly stood up, shakily clutching the now-splintery door frame as he did so. His eyes, terrified of what sight would appear before him, widened as they darted across the chaotic bathroom. Wonky metal objects were embedded throughout all the internal walls of the room, large cracks marring them in several places. Fountains of water spouted upwards where sturdy pipes should have been, gradually flooding the tiled ground, which allowed more water to seep downwards due to the multiple cracks on the slippery surface.

Another screech brought Kankurou out of his dazed state. He looked up and was unpleasantly surprised with the sight of two bloodied girls delivering fatal blows to the others' faces. Tangles of brown and blonde hair zoomed past the two shell-shocked boys as the females flung each other across the room, shrieking upon impact with the hard walls.

Suddenly, Ino took several shaky steps back from her opponent, hands forming a diamond symbol as she did so. Tenten, sensing what was to come, immediately launched herself from her crouching position on the ground and darted around the room, gathering the steel shards to cover her body as if it was a metal cloak - anything to deter Ino from launching her next attack.

"FILTHY ORPHAN," shouted Ino, "who gives you the right to do this to me? Who are you, the Kazekage's daughter? As far as I'm concerned, you're _nobody-"_

"_Enough._" All heads snapped towards the source of the voice, who was calmly reclining in the bathtub and wearing a long black dress. Her piercing gaze, made more intimidating with heavy eye make-up, landed on Ino, whose eyes were raised defiantly to meet hers.

"Are you two done yet?"

They looked down, ashamed. Temari rose out of the bathtub and strode over to the guilty-looking duo. She gently rested her hands on Ino's shoulders before drawing her in for a hug. All looked confused as she did so, as they expected a series of shrieks and violent outbursts from their normally energetic leader._ Ino wasn't the only one at fault, _Kankurou thought, _so why is Ten being let off for this? Why the hell is she hugging her anyway? _

"Tell me, Ino,"she breathed out in an eerily calm manner, "who is Tenten to you?"

"S-she's my teammate, and she is a good f-friend..."

Temari's eyes darkened."Hmm, now tell me, _Ino. _Do you normally do _this_ to your good friends?"

She suddenly grabbed Ino by the shoulders and spun her around towards Tenten. The girl's clothes were hanging by the threads around her body, revealing multiple bruises and cuts in several places. Her hair was in a tangled mess, hiding the bloody wounds marring her face and her eyes, though undamaged, were downcast and holding back tears.

"N-no, Temari-san."

Temari draped a slender arm over Ino's shoulder again, smiling menacingly as she did so.

"Then _why_, Ino, is she in such a state? Don't tell me you were _lying_... After all, what on earth do you have to hide from your leader?"

The younger blonde quivered violently, sensing a malicious aura emanating from her captain.

"She hit me, Temari-san, and I retaliated. So then we broke out into a fight, and that's why she's like this," Ino nervously stated. Her eyes suddenly hardened. "I have _nothing_ to hide from you - only _she_ does. _She's _the outcast, after all."

Ino looked up at Temari, fear evident in her eyes. However, the look she received in return was enough to send her quaking to her knees and trembling uncontrollably.

"Kankurou, Sasuke," she barked out. They immediately fixed their attention onto her glaring face. "Move these two into separate rooms. After that, do not approach them unless I tell you to."

Kankurou looked at her, shocked. "B-But, they're still injured-"

"That's an order. I want this room cleaned and those two dressed accordingly - black tie for Suna competitors. I expect them to be ready in 2 hours - if," she added, glaring at Ino and Tenten over her shoulder, "they can stop acting like children. Thank god Shizune-san gave us a few more hours to prepare ourselves."

She smiled at her two nervous-looking male teammates. "It all starts here, men."

* * *

"Ano, Shikamaru-kun, have you s-seen Naruto-kun recently?"

Said boy's head lazily fell backwards to look up at his new companion.

"Oh, Hinata. He-" A sudden thought popped into his head mid-sentence. Naruto was no doubt fooling around with that _green_ idiot and aggravating Sakura to no end. Sakura herself wasn't a bad person in Shikamaru's eyes. She just had a bad temper. And monstrous strength. Nothing to be afraid of, right?

_Troublesome. _He had known for a long time that Hinata loved the Uzumaki idiot and that the one thing - person - who stopped Naruto from returning her feelings was undeniably Haruno Sakura. Hinata knew that for sure, after all, Naruto wasn't exactly subtle about his supposed 'love' for the pink-haired Gensho.

"-he's probably with Sakura." He regretted saying that immediately after a hurt look adorned the Hyuga heiress's features. He should have known it was painful for her to hear that. "Oh, gee. Look, I'm sorry-"

"It's alright, Shikamaru-kun." She smiled brightly at him, although he could tell it was the professional smile she plastered on her face out of habit from years of decorum lessons. "You are not the one at fault."

An awkward silence followed.

"You look nice tonight, Hinata." She looked surprised that the notoriously lazy Nara boy complimented her but quickly recovered with a genuine smile directed towards him. Shikamaru hoped she wouldn't automatically misunderstand his compliment like so many other girls did when Naruto praised them. He just wanted to cheer her up, and was panic-stricken for a moment. He didn't want any relationship at a time like this. He was relieved, however, at her smile. _Of cour__se, you dumbass, she's the heiress after all - she was trained since birth to behave like this._

"T-thank you, you dashing tonight as well, Shikamaru-kun. I'd best be off now, Niisan will be waiting for me. Good luck in the Tournament, it is an honour to be in the same team as you."

With a deep bow, to which he responded with a respectful nod and smile, she walked off, exquisite lavender kimono swaying in the light breeze.

"Right, the Tournament," he mumbled to himself, "I should probably meet up with the others in the Hokage's office to meet the Suna people."

He sighed. _There's that stupid crowd of people around for the festival too...__It's all so troublesome._

* * *

An inky black blanket covered every inch of Konoha's horizon line, stars embedded and twinkling like diamonds in the night sky. Underneath, the merry festivities celebrating the return of the Gensho Aliance Tournament have begun. People - both old and young, rich and poor - from different lands flocked into the village in the hopes of securing a lodging in one of Konoha's many hotels in order to watch over the course of the Tournament; it was a source of entertainment for every day citizens and a mingling of daimyos and potential clients for both shinobi and Gensho competitors.

Children clustered around toy and lolly stores in the same manner ants would to a sticky drop of honey, eager to purchase novelty items to consume or play with. Young couples, still experiencing the earlier stages of a relationship, shyly held hands as they strolled down the streets, taking in the lavish decorations hung all over the village. In contrast, elderly couples ambled around the festivities either in an aggravated or joyful manner as they pushed through the throngs of people.

The sky was soon brimming with multicoloured fireworks, signifying the end of the Ceremony's festivities. Almost immediately, all civilians were piling into the nearby training dome to grab a seat around the wide arena inside. Their eyes were wide with anticipation, undoubtedly to catch sight of Sunagakure's competitors, whom they had been unable to see at their arrival. People bustled to and fro, some to sell their products amongst the newly-formed crowd and others to find their family members.

* * *

Meanwhile in the Hokage Building, 14 teenagers stood facing each other - 7 on each side - in tense silence, as if assessing each other's visible abilities.

"Ugly." All of Team Konoha glanced abruptly at the speaker, shocked at his sudden statement. Sai looked towards his teammates, who were either holding back sniggers to maintain peace or sending him looks of utter horror. "Isn't she?"

When met with blank looks, he continued. "Her forehead is so wide that I could draw hundreds of my lions on it and still have plenty of space available. What's your name, Ugly?"

His empty eyes turned towards the pink-haired Gensho of his opposing team, whose green eyes widened upon being targeted, as he awaited his answer. He saw a pair of cold white eyes glaring at him disapprovingly and two strangely-dressed men shaking with rage beside Ugly. His eyes rested upon the girl again and he noticed she was also quivering - angrily? - with more fury than the two green and orange boys put together.

"Haruno Sakura." Then, as quickly as it appeared, all traces of anger were gone and replaced by a sickly sweet smile. His head cocked to the side, intrigued. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult me like that, thank you."

He felt confused, although the confusion was not shown on his face. "Insult you? Didn't I tell you the truth?"

A vein visibly throbbed at her temple as Sakura took several deep breaths to reign in her temper. Sai observed her reactions with amusement. He barely registered two brightly coloured figures hurtling towards him at the speed of light before he drew out his sword, only to find the perpetrators flying back in a blur and smashing into the opposite wall. Sai looked around, startled. His teammates were no longer in their previous positions. Instead, they surrounded him protectively - _like a herd_, he thought - in their primary battle stances and surrounded by a floating shield of metal (courtesy of Tenten) and a circular trail of sand - Gaara's sand.

He looked forwards and saw Temari standing directly in front of him with her giant fan positioned carefully in front of her. Even without seeing the ferocious snarl on his leader's face, he could tell that she was poised to strike judging by the tenseness of her shoulder blades.

"Who's the Captain?" she asked, her voice laced with venom. A frightening silence ensued. Both teams were prepared to fight - save for the pineapple-headed leaning against the other wall. A sudden movement caused the opposite team to step aside to make way for the white-eyed boySai spotted earlier.

"I am," he replied, tone of voice composed.

"Then I assume you know how high the stakes will be if your..._teammates_ attack one of my own?"

"And I assume you know the risk of allowing your brethren to ruthlessly insult a highly-respected member of my team?"

"Sai was not raised to take others' feelings into account. He is still learning. Can you blame him for that?"

"No, but I blame his

* * *

guardian for raising such an abhorring, socially inept human being."

Team Suna stiffened at the boy's words. No one, _no one_, insulted Sai's guardian. _No one. _Temari's eyes were darkened with hate. She smirked sinisterly.

''Perhaps _you're _the one who is socially inept, _Hyuga Neji._"

"That's quite enough." A booming female voice broke them out of their tense state and all competitors scrambled back to their original positions. The busty woman - Senju Tsunade - strode past the younger Gensho and sat down in her desk, head resting on two clasped hands. She gave her home team a quick, disappointed look_, _having known what had happened prior to her interruption.

"I hope you have all enjoyed your time down in the village plaza with our Opening Ceremony festivities. I would like to, again, welcome our visitor team from Sunagakure to our beautiful village. I presume your stay so far has been hospitable?"

The question was directed towards Temari, who hesitated before smiling gently. "Yes, Principal Tsunade, it has been very pleasant so far."

Seemingly pleased, the elder lady continued, "Your roommates will be spending an enormous amount of time with you during your stay. However, I have assigned tour guides to all of you for the first few days and they will also be your training partners as well - just to mix up the abilities a bit. Information about the final segment of the Tournament shall be revealed to you all in due time, but just remember it will be situated in the Forest of Death."

Collective gasps around the Team Konoha side of the room were silenced by the Principal.

"You all have a crowd waiting for your downstairs. Follow me."

* * *

Tsunade watched all competitors walk calmly into the arena, greeting the crowd with radiant smiles as they did so. They were lead by the emcee to stand in a large circle, where they proceeded to blow kisses in every direction and wave gracefully. Sunagakure's females were clad in shimmering black dresses flowing around their toned legs wherever they went and the team's males were comfortably suited in tuxedos and humourously posing for the crowd and media crews to snap several - hundred - photos of them.

Her eyes then fell onto her own team. They stood like stiff wooden boards nailed to the ground, with the exception of Naruto and Lee, who looked like they were growing more and more energetic with every snapshot aimed at them. Tsunade frowned. Konohagakure's team were practically family to civilians of the village and yet the visiting team were far more open.

The time for Gensho ability sneak previews began with the blaring of fanfare and the crowd fell silent. The ever-silent Hyuga Neji was the first of all Tournament members to display his abilities and the pressure was on him to make the initial impression for his team. He did not disappoint, as hundreds of flying kunai with explosive tags attached flew from all directions and blew up when colliding into what seemed like an invisible barrier around him. The audience ooh'ed and ah'ed upon seeing this and he bowed stiffly before walking out of the arena.

The second was Nara Shikamaru, who was famous not only for his mental prowess inherited by all his clansmen, but his notorious habit of being completely and utterly _lazy_. This suited his Gensho ability perfectly, Tsunade thought, considering the fact that the boy was almost always hidden in the shadows. Gasps and screams resounded through the entire arena as Shikamaru physically melted into the shadows surrounding him and materialised on the other side of the stadium. He silently walked off the stage with his posture slumped unhealthily. Tsunade rolled her eyes. She'd have to fix up that boy's posture herself if he didn't want to live the rest of his life with a hunched back.

Haruno Sakura was her pride and joy - the girl who excelled in her healing classes and the one Tsunade herself gave private lessons to after seeing her immense potential as a healer. As her protégé, Sakura became one of the most well-known Gensho in the village for her profound intelligence and brute strength. The Sannin smiled proudly when Sakura jumped high into the air and landed with her fist facing downwards, causing the earth to literally shatter beneath her touch. The crowd gaped at her with wide eyes as the dust settled down, revealing a happily smiling Haruno girl who waved happily and skipped out of the field.

Tsume's only son, she registered, was Inuzaka Kiba and if she wasn't mistaken, their clan specialised in dog jutsus - although she had no idea what Gensho ability he inherited from that line. A majestic white dog - Akamaru, as he called out during one of her classes one day - followed him, tail wagging energetically. Kiba gave a loud whistle and stood up straight, eyes sparkling mischievously. The viewers looked around, expecting to see an explosion of some sort and they expected right, however it was more of an explosion of animals; dogs and cats came barking and meowing through the large double doors, rapidly followed by the nearby horses. Birds from every corner of the village flocked in through the large hole at the top of the arena, squawking as they glided in. Spectators looked on in awe at the rarer, endangered creatures entering and clapped enthusiastically at his display. Grinning from ear to ear, Kiba bowed several times and marched out with the assortment of animals, who were following his every movement.

Hyuga Hinata's performance was similar yet different to that of her Inuzaka teammate's one, only hers differed in the way that she seemed to influence the land around her to shift back from its chaotic mess to its initial state with a single touch and the activation of her Byakugan - a centuries-old dojutsu trait seemingly adjusted to suit the Gensho spirit's requirements. Tsunade unconsciously compared Hinata's exhibition to her cousin's. Whilst she needed her Byakugan to activate to unleash her ability, Neji appeared to relinquish that activation power and demonstrated his ability without the trait. _Perhaps_, she thought, _he is far gr__eater with the_ _dojutsu.._

Her thoughts were soon thrown into the back of her mind as a familiar, _hyperactive _boy she knew and loved like a son leapt into the stadium and stood with his hands on his sides while grinning idiotically at the ecstatic crowd. They knew him too well for being the local prankster for a majority of his life and the adopted son of the Legendary Toad Sannin Jiraiya. Within a second, hundreds of orange Narutos littered the stadium, screaming loudly and pushing around for more space. Tsunade facepalmed, almost embarrassed to witness the sight. Suddenly, they all vanished into thin air, and in the centre of the arena was a cross-legged Naruto meditating in an eerily still manner. The audience sat still with him and leaned forward ever-so-slowly whilst craning their necks around in order to not miss what the boy was about to execute. Naruto's eyes opened and Tsunade widened her eyes in surprise. _Jiraiya, what did you-? How is he able to perform both shinobi techniques and maintain his Gensho abilities? _

She missed Naruto's final trick, to which the onlookers applauded fervently at. Looking up, she saw him jumping up and down with his arms in the air and merrily running around in circles ("I'm gonna be the Hokage, 'ttebayo!"). As he finally exited the grounds, Tsunade shook her head and laughed to herself. _That boy definitely inherited his teacher's personality. _

The female Sannin nearly spat out the sake inside her mouth when the last Konoha competitor stepped in from the double doors. _Green jumpsuit, check. Orange arm and leg warmers, check. Hideous bob, check. Thick eyebrows, check. Complete disregard and ignorance of my uniform rule, check. Now that I think about it. Naruto didn't wear the uniform either..._ She slammed her fist on the armrest. _I'll deal with them later. _She stole another horrified glance at the bushy-browed boy, an exact replica of Maito Gai himself and wondered what on earth drove him to adopt such a costume. She identified the boy as Rock Lee, who was, according to the files she was given on him, extremely adept in the martial arts department. _Well, it's not wrong - the boy's movements are lightning fast and he hasn't missed a single target._She massaged her temples to soothe her throbbing headache. Those last two boys, in her opinion, were far too much to handle.

It was time for the long-awaited Sunagakure participants to showcase their abilities. A sandy-haired girl with her hair pulled up into four spiked ponytails appeared to float into the centre of the field, drawing out a large metal fan adorned with three purple moons on its surface. She then continued to wave the large fan around as though minimal effort was required to perform such a feat and gave it a final sweep, resulting in a furious windy storm from which everyone watching immediately crouched down in their seats to avoid. Tsunade was surprised, to say the least, when immense amounts of sand, black and white dragons (drawings, they looked like) and a strange purple substance spiralled into the swirling tornado.

As it died down, Tsunade barely caught sight of the entire seven members of Team Suna standing in a group in the centre when a slender brunette girl elegantly leapt into the air and hide the team from view in a large metal half-sphere. Unexpectedly, the hemisphere began to emit sparks of blue electricity as if it were charging up itself. The static lines distorted and meandered uncontrollably up into the very top of the dome before releasing a single thick, white, tinted blue bolt of lightning straight into the air where the clouds split apart while forming a wonky circle around the lightning bolt. Onlookers gazed at the phenomenon in amazement, during which the metal dome disappeared and revealed the visitor team smiling and waving while a thin girl with her blonde hair tied up into a high pony tail stepped forward with her hands forming a diamond-shaped seal. Following that movement, a smooth, female voice resounded through everybody's ears. Heads turned from side to side desperately to identify the speaker, but it was difficult pinpoint as no one's mouth was forming her exact words.

'-_nd gentlemen, boys and girls, we, as Sunagakure's Team in the Gensho Alliance Tournament, would like to thank you for your village's generous hospitality and-'_

As the mysterious girl continued her speech, honey-brown eyes flickered down to observe the visitor team. _So it's the front girl who's "talking" to the audience...and effortlessly as well. _She mentally assessed each of the six competitors positioned behind the telepathic girl, who were barely keeping their smiles to themselves as they wholeheartedly bowed and waved to the applauding civilians. _Such flawless teamwork..._

"Shizune." Tsunade gave said woman a quick nod. A look of understanding appeared on Shizune's face and she shuffled towards the podium to begin her congratulatory speech.

Principal Tsunade leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

_Let the games begin._

* * *

**I'M SO SORRY, EVERYONE. **

**The study and exam periods (in weeks) were unrelenting and I really couldn't update at all during that time, but to be honest there were two weeks after that where I completely lazed about doing...nothing. I. am. so. sorry.**

**Well, I either gave away their superpowers or let out hints to you guys and finally finished the Opening Ceremony segment of the Tournament! As Tsunade said, "let the games begin."**

**I may have repeated some words too much in this chapter since my brain is currently fried and my 'vast expanse of vocabulary' isn't really...vast. Furthermore, some paragraphs or sentences may be a bit "iffy", so I apologise for that too. **

**Please review (constructive criticism, thanks!)**

**~misspandalily**


	8. Primum Consilium

**Thank you, all of you for being so patient with me. Really, I love you all. :3**

**In the previous chapter, it was brought to my attention that there is an unnecessary line break during Neji and Temari's confrontation and unfortunately, despite my efforts to rid the chapter of this break, they remain stubborn and therefore, I apologise for accidentally putting it there in the first place and for the inconvenience. **

**Thank you Ichigo-chan, FruitySmell, AceAmi and marionne345 for reviewing the last chapter and filling my writing days with pure happiness. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

The ruby red walls of the hallway was by far the most colourful section of the Gensho Academy of the Leaf, with a dark red carpet floor and plain white ceiling with Venetian gold chandeliers carefully attached to it, dazzlingly illuminating the corridor. Hammered into the two parallel walls were pure white doors, their serial numbers engraved into them with large, golden figures, each of which lead to large rooms decorated with single-coloured themes.

Neji sat up from his lying position on his rosy-coloured bed and massaged his temples, sleep having conquered the uneasy thoughts regarding his competitors only a few hours ago. He lowered his hands and finally allowed himself to survey the room he'd be sharing for the next month. Every inch of the dormitory practically screamed red; from the fiery tones of his walls to the antique rosewood desks sitting dejectedly in the corner. It was, therefore, to Neji's relief that the ceiling and carpet floor were white, lest he feel as if he was living in a furnace.

Neji never liked red. It was fiery, warm and courageous, but at the same time it emitted an aura of defiance, strain and aggressiveness - qualities he never liked to encounter in a person. He was raised in an environment where everything was controlled from the bottom to the top, and from the eldest of beings to the earliest stages of a fetus - order and the unchanging laws of fate were what led him to become the most skilled Gensho of his age group in Konoha. White was his colour. Pure, constant and simple. It was the shade he always saw when he cleared his mind out before training, the shade he was surrounded by in the huge, traditional Hyuga compound. White was hygienic, elite and sophisticated - he never felt the ridiculous need to personalise his room like so many others did when perfecting his techniques were much more practical to him.

He slid out of his bed and came face to face with his roommate - a tall red-headed boy sitting on a bed a few metres away from his, glaring at Neji with the intensity that rivaled his own. The boy, already dressed to the toe in his Tournament uniform, slipped on his gloves and turned his emerald green eyes away from Neji's, as though he had lost all interest in him. His heavily-lined eyes, outrageously unnecessary in Neji's opinion, were zooming around the room. There was something eerily familiar about the boy that Neji couldn't quite pinpoint, it was as if that boy held some form of a significant place in his mind.

"Where's the bathroom?" was the husky-toned question the boy asked. Neji directed his eyes towards the door on the other side of the room, seeing that speaking was not required for him to answer the question. The boy gave Neji and courteous nod as he walked away, light flecks of sand trailing after him.

Neji decided there was no time to waste, especially not on the very first day of the Tournament. He swiftly dressed himself in his uniform and caught sight of a small A4-sized paper sticking out from underneath the door and picked it up curiously. According to _it_, he was to "meet up with his assigned competitor and give them an enjoyable tour of Konohagakure for the day." Neji scoffed and scrolled his finger downwards to where his name was written beside another's - Tenten, it said. To please someone with a tour of the village he knew so well instead of honing his skills was a preposterous idea to Neji. After all, elite Gensho such as the ones on the other team should learn how to adapt to different environments without the help of other people, shouldn't they?

He was tempted to defy the notice's instructions and resume his training immediately, but changed his mind upon realising he was the leader and role model of Team Konoha, and would bring great shame to his village if he did not participate as required of him. Letting out a resigned sigh, Neji strode out of his dormitory, shut the door behind him lightly and made his way to Hinata's room, where he knew her roommate Tenten resided.

* * *

Tenten was in a good mood this morning, either because a) 90% of the room she'd be staying in for the next month was decked her second favourite colour - yellow (red being the first) and b) she remembered the gaping faces of Team Konoha's competitors as her own team left the stage grounds after their performance the previous night. Especially Hyuga Neji's face.

She slinked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind her so as not to awaken her roommate, and swiveled around, expecting to see the vibrant red walls of the hallway but instead found herself standing face to face with a slender girl dressed in the Tournament uniform - Suna's Tournament uniform. She looked calm and composed, as expected of the heiress of one of the most influential families in Sunagakure, and shone brightly from her position in front of one of the large windows that allowed soft rays of sunlight to filter through them and onto the soft carpet floor.

Blonde and beautiful were two of the most common words used to describe Yamanaka Ino, due to her baby blue almond-shaped eyes and toned, hourglass figure. Ino was the social butterfly of the Gensho Academy of the Sand, and placed second only to Temari No Sabaku herself, but who could beat her, the Kazekage's only daughter? It took Tenten years to figure out Ino's weaknesses, which were, despite her superior telepathic skills, the academics and physical sparring, the latter of which Tenten could easily beat the younger Gensho in. So Tenten held on to her status as one of the elite two females who could take on Yamanaka Ino in a fight.

Envy, she figured, was the root cause of her insecurity and hatred towards Ino. They were from two completely different worlds - Ino, the perfect blonde heiress, loved and supported by all; Tenten, the filthy orphan, hated by all...

_All... except for...them..._

_Inky black sky was all she saw, no stars, nothing. It wasn't as if she could see anything anyway. The world was obscure, bleak - just like her future in this sand-infested hell hole. _

_She leaned back against the wall, barely feeling its grainy texture as she hurriedly unwrapped a freshly-baked loaf of bread hidden beneath her dirty, thin black cardigan and savoured its warmth before taking a medium-sized bite into it. She chewed slowly, trying not to devour the entire loaf that instance. It would be days, perhaps weeks before she could find or steal food like this again._

_She parted with the loaf unwillingly. It took every ounce of self control she and her growling stomach could muster to wrap the bread in a relatively clean piece of cloth she stoke from a rich-looking last just yesterday to preserve her meal for the next few days. She stuffed the package into a leather bag she recently salvaged from an aristocrat's rubbish bin and wrapped her arms around her trembling body, trying in vain to get herself to sleep._

_It didn't matter anyway. She would pass out from hunger, just like she did every other night. Sure enough, her eyelids began to droop, allowing her to slowly shrink into a cloud of darkness._

_She heard voices, the violent whistling of Suna winds, footsteps. They came nearer to her, and she jolted awake._

_A seemingly young man, judging by his physique underneath heavy brown robes, stood above her. His eyes, dark and heavily ringed, looked down on her as his cloak betrayed a few auburn hairs above his forehead. He held out a hand to her, as if motioning for her to stand up._

_She cautiously took it, but firmly held on once realising she had nothing to lose. His eyes crinkled in mild delight and pulled her upwards. He lowered his scarf and revealed a stern-looking face, wisened far beyond his years._

_"I am the Fourth Kazekage."_

Tenten shook herself out of her reverie and turned her eyes upwards to glare at Ino, but instead found herself looking up at one of the hallway's golden chandeliers and frowned at it, confused. She saw two hazy blue objects from the corner of her peripheral vision and focused on them.

They belonged to an angelic face, now creased with worry and marring otherwise perfect features. The face's mouth let out a sequence of sounds. Sounds Tenten never heard, or bothered to hear.

There was a boy standing behind the pretty face. A boy with long black hair and ghostly white eyes that she had only ever seen once in her entire life, and like that one time, all she saw in them was fury.

She glanced at his left hand, which was pressing an ice pack to his head, and his other one, which was clutching onto a blunt piece of metal, knuckles whitened from his evidently firm grip. _Ouch._ She didn't know where the piece of metal was from (although the nearest door did seem to lack a silver doorknob) or how it got there, but there were two things she did know.

It was her fault.

And he looked like he was about to kill her.

_Aw, crap.  
_

* * *

Neji looked furious, to say the least. Tenten hoped it wasn't because she made a flying chunk of steel smash into his head by accident. She hoped.

"I'm sorry for, uh," _sending a doorknob at you while I was, according to Ino, __in a trance-like state__ and leaving behind a massive bruise on your head, _"before."

He only continued to scowl into the distance whilst marching her through the town market place, which was quite nice, in Tenten's opinion. She enjoyed looking all the extravagant decorations hung around the town from the previous night's celebrations and seeing old shopkeepers leisurely tending to their produce, merrily shooing off mischievous toddlers frolicking nearby. Street vendors set up their stalls in several places to sell betting cards, posters and other Gensho Tournament merchandises, obnoxiously yelling out their favourite competitors' names.

"Stop."

"Yes, Hyuga-san?" She tore her eyes away from a fiery bright poster of her team posing on top of a large boulder and peered up at him. He wore an incredulous look on his face, as if he didn't expect her to possess manners or etiquette of any kind.

"Behind you is the Hokage Monument, known as the most representative landmark of my village, envisioned by the _Shodai Hokage_ - Senju Hashirama - to be a symbol that our Hokage always watch over the village. Situated on top is Konoha Archive Library and the safe house where we evacuate to in times of danger. Of course, behind that is the Gensho Academy."

"Of course."

Neji pointed to a large red building directly underneath the four engravings of Konoha's Hokages.

"Underneath is the Hokage Building, in red."

"Yes, I see that."

"In front of you is the main plaza, branching out into many other streets, where you may shop."

"Wow, you mean I can't swim in a shopping district?" she asked in a sarcastic voice, which he promptly ignored.

He lead her around the village, occasionally pointing out significant buildings and landmarks in it, such as Konoha's Shinobi Academy (_"A place where the bravest of children learn to hone their chakra control and the fundamentals of all ninja techniques"). _

"Oi, Hyuga-san."

Neji raised an eyebrow at Tenten, bemused at the contradicting statements and nodded in response.

"I'm allergic to pollen." She looked around, indicating the masses of flowers surrounding her and Neji and scrunched up her nose uncomfortably. They were ready to bloom, she presumed, as all the buds looked like they were about to burst into a blanket of hues. _One grain of pollen on me, rose, and you'll never see the end of it._

"I'm starting to hate this garden. Why'd you even take me here?"

He stood up frustratedly and walked off, leaving her standing on top of a large white pillar, confused. She jumped off to follow him but tripped over a smooth white rock lodged halfway into the ground, hiding beneath luscious green grass. She got up and brushed off the dirt on her pants and curiously examined the stone.

It was smooth, much too smooth in texture to be a mere stone stuck in the earth. She grabbed a nearby stick, using it as leverage to haul the stone up. Her hunch was confirmed when she saw a rectangular-shaped box directly underneath the (marble?) rock instead of dirt and soil.

She heaved the medium-sized crate up onto the grass and opened it up. Her eyes widened in surprised when she uncovered the contents of the box. It was a single, long and black cape. Tenten would've assumed it belonged to a man who only wanted a temporary hiding space for his clothes. That is, if it weren't for the decorations sewn into it.

_She could recognise that symbol, that blood red symbol outlined in white, anytime and any where.  
_

_She could recognise the ominous clouds that seemed to flicker around on the black cloaks, at any moment. _

_She could recognise the mark of the man who killed her loved ones easily. _

_That bloody red mark. _

_The Akatsuki._

* * *

**I took quite a while. ****Sorry :(**

**Buuuut, it was the first NejiTen scene ever! Although it was lacking in some components, namely romance, I'll try my best to improve it. And to be honest, I've never written about romance before, so this will be quite a challenge for me. **

**Please review, constructive criticism encouraged! **

**~misspandalily**


	9. Arcanum

**A/N: I realised there were a lot of things I needed to tie into the story from my previous chapters, so don't fear, I'll get around to it later on! By the way, Battle of Wills now has a new story cover. Who can guess what it symbolises?  
**

**Thank you to all the lovely favouriters, followers and reviewers out there, your tips and praises are some of the many things that I absolutely, positively look forward to each and every day. So, FruitySmell, ****marionne345, ****Ichigo-chan, AceAmi, the-olive-pixie and MagicalDNGirl thank you all so much. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Sasuke ruffled a hand through his hair, flicking droplets of water about as he made his way out of the bathroom, navy blue towel wrapped around his torso. Whistling, he slipped on a black tank top and a pair of black shorts before throwing his towel aside onto a nearby bed. It landed with a soft thump on contact with the dark blankets and shook uncontrollably, slowly swelling in size until it resembled a miniature hill. Sasuke stood before it, confused and shocked. That was, confused until a lanky green figure emerged from the mound, immediately deflating it. He was, however, still shocked.

The green creature towered above Sasuke whilst standing atop the bed. Its hair was unruly and pointed in several directions even as fast hands hurried to straighten the hair out. It soon grew tired of the fruitless efforts and leapt off the bed into the bathroom, slamming the door loudly behind it.

Sasuke could hear the squeaking of the shower taps and the subsequent running of water flowing down from the taps and decided it best if he left the creature, his roommate, alone to do its grooming. But as soon as his hand grabbed on to the main doorknob, it appeared from the bathroom, hair now gelled down into a humongous bob. Sasuke examined his roommate's face more closely and nearly did a double-take.

Aside from the shiny bob, the jumpsuit he had mistaken earlier on as skin was shockingly _green_. Not the emerald green he saw on the earrings of so many girls he had taken out, the jade green colour of the necklace his father lovingly gifted his mother on their 20th anniversary, nor did it resemble the khaki green shades of his Suna training uniform that he so hated long ago. _No_, it was the dull, forest green that captured everyone's attention due to its sheer lack of colouring style.

The jumpsuit was covered at the forearms and lower legs by orange leg and arm warmers and at the boy's waist were white bandages wrapped tightly around it. To further shock Sasuke even more, the roommate's eyes were perfectly _round._ Not wide, or doe-eyed, just _round. And prominent lower eyelashes to top it all off._

"Hello there! You must be Uchiha Sasuke-san! My name is Rock Lee! May our days together be filled with bliss and the budding bromance of youth!"

Lee fashioned a thumbs-up pose with his other hand on his hip and grinned at Sasuke, revealing a set of sparkling teeth - so sparkly, in fact, that Sasuke had to turn away in order not to blind himself. It strangely reminded him of the man who led them into the Gensho Hall upon their arrival at the Academy, the dazzling teeth, abhorring green choice of clothing and hairstyle. Whether they were related or not, Sasuke really, really, really didn't want to know.

"Might I remind you, Sasuke-san, the beautiful, blossoming, youthful Sakura-chan is someone very important to me and as she is your guide, please do not blemish her or her reputation."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. There was no way someone like Lee could be able to have a girlfriend, or like a girl for that matter. He was just too...eccentric. But, on the other hand, _beautiful, blossoming and youthful _sounded like a girl worthy of his attention...

"Hey, you. Who's this Sakura person?" Sasuke asked as he turned around to face Lee, but the boy was already gone.

Of course, Sasuke didn't know that at that very moment a skinny teenaged boy was racing around the streets of Konoha obnoxiously shouting out his love for Haruno Sakura, much to the chagrin of the girl herself, who was currently hanging on to his arms for dear life with a horrified expression on her face.

* * *

Sasuke was walking along the corridors of the Gensho Academy of the Leaf, mentally plotting out the institute's many classrooms and facilities into a map, whilst returning the dreamy gazes of the younger girls staring out of the windows at him with an arrogant smirk or a (seemingly) gentle smile. They swooned, of course.

He reached an empty classroom at the end of the hallway, finding it odd that every other classroom was clearly full of students except for this one. He tried to turn the knob. It didn't budge. Perhaps there was suspicious activity happening in this very room, unnoticed or undetected by the other students. He peered in through the windows and saw nothing out-of-the-ordinary. It looked exactly like the other classrooms, only dustier.

Relunctantly, Sasuke shook it off as nothing special. _So what, the school has one locked up classroom. There was probably an accident or something._ But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't rid himself of the nagging feeling wriggling in the back of his mind as he walked towards the staircase leading to the lobby area, this time ignoring the longing glances of Academy girls.

A sudden movement out of the corner of his peripheral vision yanked him out of his thoughts. He turned his head towards the nearest mirror as if to fix his hair, and caught sight of a reflection of a darkly dressed figure just as it miraculously vanished into thin air. He proceeded down the stairs, maintaining a constant pace so as not to alert the new presence of his awareness. He felt it step into the rhythm of his footsteps, halting as he did, and disappear when someone ran up or down the staircase.

Sasuke reached the last step and turned around.

"Gaara, you really don't need to act like a ninja if you want to talk to me."

A redheaded boy materialised from behind a nearby wall and sauntered to him, feet barely making a sound against the marble-white floors of the lobby.

"I have a favour to ask of you," he stated. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Gaara was never one for pleasantries, and neither did he ever consider including them in his conversations. He never beat around bushes, opting instead to express his intentions clearly. He could be sitting in the middle of a sandstorm, drinking his bitter herbal tea in front of a bloodthirsty opponent and not move a muscle. That was probably why Sasuke had on no occasion seen his green-eyed classmate be tactless, impulsive or clumsy around famed businessmen and illustrious leaders. He was not afraid to sacrifice his pride or his life for the sake of his country, or achieve his ambition. The qualities of a ruthless Kazekage, Gaara had. But the title itself, he could not.

"Shoot."

"Keep an eye on Tenten."

* * *

Neji swiveled around, frustrated that the girl was nowhere to be seen behind him. He only left her behind in the garden, and highly doubted that she'd be unable to jump off a rock and not die or injure herself from the fall. The rock itself was only the size of Kiba's white hound, for goodness's sake.

He begun to storm back to where he last saw her but caught a glimpse of two brown buns in the crowd. Fuming, Neji charged through the masses of people and grabbed hold of the owner of said buns, only to come into contact with two chocolate scoops on two separate ice-cream cones, now dripping from his hands in an un-Hyuga-like fashion. He cringed and looked up; a child was staring back at him with a shocked expression, mouth slowly starting twitch at the edges until he broke out into a large wail, face growing redder and redder by the second.

Neji glanced around nervously, unsure of how to placate the child, and tapped an elderly lady's shoulder for help. She turned around and smiled sweetly at him, but the smile quickly left her wrinkled face when she saw two chocolate-covered hands and a screeching child holding out two annihilated ice-creams.

"Oh my, is this the future of the Hyuga clan? You are a shame, young man! How dare you destroy my grandson's snack and have the gall to turn your back at him! And tap me on the shoulder, too! You should start learning how to deal with children, you hooligan!" She shuffled away from him to her grandson, and gave him a comforting hug.

Neji scoffed and continued down the street. At least, he tried to. The crowd had condensed even more during the happenings of the previous incident, limiting his walking space. _One of the only disappointments of this Tournament period is the crowd, that's for sure. _He irritably pushed his way through the hordes, glaring at screaming babies and chattering teenaged girls. _They should be in school. _

With a final step out of the multitudes, Neji shook off invisible accumulations of dust of his clothes and straightened them out with the palms of his hands, consequently marring his freshly-ironed Gensho uniform with dark chocolate streaks. He grimaced.

Angling his head upwards, Neji found himself face to face with the very same girl he was looking for. Also, the very same girl who indirectly put him in his current predicament - chocolate-coloured clothing and all. He was relieved to see her unscathed - Principal Tsunade would've beat him up for being inhospitable to a visitor, not that he was, of course - and so ready to scowl and condescendingly mock her for not following him at once. He eyed her hair-buns and glowered at them.

"Remove your buns."

"My what?"

"They're too noticeable."

She gaped like a fish and scrunched up her fists. "Keep your perverted white eyes off my butt."

He looked confused for a bit, and finally registered the meaning of her words. Neji scowled. "I meant your hair."

Ignoring her protests, he grumpily pulled out the elastic bands keeping her hair together and felt his breath hitch in his throat as he watched it tumble down past her shoulders to her waist in elegant brown locks. He suddenly grew painfully aware of how nicely her hair framed her delicate features, now twisted in an hostile sneer, of how her tank top revealed am evenly-toned upper body and the rise and fall of her breasts, held back tightly with bindings, of how intricate black tattoos wound themselves around her arms - the marks of a Gensho warrior.

She lunged towards him, effectively catching him off-guard and twisted his arms behind his back at an awkward angle.

"Give me those elastic bands back," she said through gritted teeth,"Give them back, or I'll snap your arms off."

"You can't do that. Not only would you defy the rules of The Gensho Alliance Tournament, you'd have to pay for my hospital bills. You wouldn't want to do that, would you? Especially since your Academy is so lacking in...everything."

She twisted his arms even further behind his back, "I wouldn't say that if I were you. 'Cause from what I can see, today you'll either lose your arms or your pride. Perhaps both. Give me those hair bands, and you can keep your arms for another day. How does that sound?"

He sneered and agreed to return her hair ties. It was hardly worth losing his arms over them. She relinquished her grasp and grabbed her jacket from the floor, hastily hiding a strange black cape within it. Neji saw a blur of a red and white cloud just as it disappeared into her jacket and froze.

She was already walking rapidly away from him by the time he fully recognised the symbol of the cape.

"Akatsuki."

It was a single word, not loud enough to be heard amongst the throngs of the crowd, and too far away from her to be heard. But with that single word, accompanied by a cold, suspicious glare, the brunette -Tenten- stiffened and did not meet Neji's eyes until he appeared right before her, furiously pinning her up against a brick wall.

"I've only ever encountered that symbol in books, and know that the Akatsuki disappeared from the face of the earth 40 years ago. Why do you have an Akatsuki cape? Are you reviving the cult? Are you betraying your country? Your village? The Alliance? TELL ME!" He shook her shoulders violently and roared in her face, agitation, rage and betrayal evident on his aristocratic features. Her lower lip trembled, and within a blink of an eye steeled herself in a metal armour, as was her second nature, like a second skin - the perfect defence mechanism.

Neji released his grip on her, shocked. It was rare, just like how a Gensho civilian learning both shinobi and Gensho techniques was - Gensho students never had enough chakra to fully complete and master the skills of a ninja.

"Even if I told you why I have this, you wouldn't believe me. You're too close-minded, too pathetically strung by your opinionated beliefs that the last thing you'd ever do is have faith in someone."

His features contorted into a sinister smirk at her words, veins dilating around the outside of his eyes. Tenten's eyes widened - the _byakugan._ "Try me."

"This cape," she started, holding it up in front of her, "was found hidden beneath a stone, inside a box."

He jeered. "So what?"

"This cape, Hyuga Neji, was found underneath a smooth, white stone marked with the Hyuga emblem, and inside a box with Konohagakure's icon engraved into it. Why don't _you_ tell me why _your_ clan and village are involved with the Akatsuki."

His face paled as she threw the cloak at him. He caught it with one hand.

With a shaky hand, he peered down at it. "Who are you?"

"I'm just a nameless orphan."

* * *

**Chapter 9 finished, and ooooh the plot thickens! NejiTen moment! :D**

**Hope you all enjoyed it, Chapter 10 shall be up in due time...**

**~misspandalily**


	10. Furor

**A/N: This chapter marks Battle of Wills's 5 month anniversary. YAAAAAAAY! It really has been awhile since I first began this story, and it's thanks to all you beautiful readers and reviewers that I was able to find the spirit to continue it. But even if I had none, I'd still write it just for the sheer joy and satisfaction of doing so. Oh, and my book cover has been changed to a leaf sitting on sand, as I kind of mentioned in the author's notes last chapter and represents the Alliance between the Leaf and the Sand, though _Ichigo-chan_, your guess sounded way cooler. :D  
**

**Great, big thanks to miakasango, FruitySmell, Ichigo-chan, and marionne345 for taking their time to review! :D**

**Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

_"I'm just a nameless orphan."_

* * *

Neji learnt, from a young age, that the only thing that came between him and success was his mental limitations. _The sky has no limits_, they had told him when he first began his training - as a shinobi, though, not as a Gensho warrior, _and your determination and skills will be the only things important to you as you grow older. Trust and love the clan, and the clan only._

So he spent day in and day out trying in vain to learnt the Gentle Fist, and art passed down from generation to generation in his family, but he couldn't do it. No matter how many well-placed palms he aimed at the punching bag or meditation sessions he painstakingly sat through each day, not even an ounce of chakra made its way through his body, except for the small concentration of it that enabled him to activate his _byakugan. _Even that feat was rare and required days of built up chakra to stimulate. He was, in the Elders' eyes, a failure to the clan.

His mother, Hyuga Maemi (previously of the once-powerful Housen clan), known for her exceptional beauty, accused of seducing the clan head's brother, Hyuga Hizashi, and bearing an inept child to him, was relegated from her high-ranking position to become his mistress and thus, Hyuga Neji became a mere concubine's son and a disappointment to his entire clan - after all, who in the name of Hyuga was unable to wield the Gentle Fist?

The sudden death of his mother only a few years later was quickly hushed up by the Elders - a new and noble young lady was being groomed to be the new wife of his father, and no ''scandalous'' woman's death could thwart their plans. But Neji had no parents to care for him, no mother to comfort him every night after a long day's training, no father to bond with, and no grandparents - they had all abandoned him in spite of his beautiful mother. It was Hyuga Hiashi's - his uncle's - pity that compelled him to take Neji in to raise him as one of his own.

The Elders, after much protest, reluctantly agreed with Hiashi's decisions. Neji would stay well out of the way of his engaged father and invest his time in his studies, instead of preparing himself for entrance into the shinobi Academy. This period of time, from when Neji was merely 7 years old and orphaned to his thirteenth year under the strict governance of his clan, was arguably blissful for Neji.

Hyuga Hizashi remarried, and bore another son with his new wife, an upright and dutiful woman: the type who always wore their hair tightly back in a bun at the nape of her neck and presented herself in plain white kimonos - the type the Hyuga clan's Elders approved of greatly.

When Neji's powers first manifested at thirteen years of age, he was training in an abandoned courtyard by the moonlight. Consecutive blows were being aimed at a strong wooden post, clearly unaffected by his repetitive attempts, and Neji's hits grew stronger and stronger with each try until it no longer required what little chakra he already had. It was then, with one frustrated hit, that Neji discovered that he was the first Gensho warrior to be born into his prestigious clan.

He could create force-fields: invisible barriers of energy, and powerful ones at that - the wooden post he was punching earlier had shattered into thousands of wooden splinters, waking up every sleeping Hyuga man, woman and child in the entire estate. They gathered around him in amazement, hostility forgotten, asking him question after question after question; for how long did he know about this? Why didn't he tell anyone? When did it happen?

Neji was soon ushered out of his plain and cramped room into a luxuriantly decorated one near his father's. It was as if their previous animosity and indifference had been magically swept away and replaced with the kind, loving family he yearned for so long ago. His father and stepmother welcomed him with open arms and a large smile, son standing obediently behind them. Neji merely stepped robotically into and out of their embrace. These were the people who he longed for the most in all of his thirteen years; the father who never spared a glance at him, the stepmother who unknowingly destroyed the heart of his own mother, and the boy who replaced Neji's space in his father's heart. He wanted nothing and everything to do with them.

His admittance into the Gensho Academy of the Leaf was nerve-wracking for him. Not once had he ever dared to venture outside his home, and yet here he was, standing in front of one of Gensho-kind's most privileged schools in an expensive black blazer bearing the Academy's logo, pants, white blouse and patterned tie and a proud-looking Hyuga Hizashi standing beside him with a hand resting on Neji's shoulder.

_The reputation of the Hyuga family rests in your family, Neji. Not once have we ever had a Gensho warrior before, _he said to him on that very day, _make me proud, son. _It was the very first time someone had referred to him as_ son_; not even his loving Uncle had done that. Neji suddenly didn't care about all the past grievances his father placed upon him before - he wanted to fling his skinny arms around him and cry his heart out. But he couldn't do that, he was a Hyuga man.

His whole life, despite being treated cruelly by servants and higher-ups alike, was governed by the rules of his clan. His education and his training was under the tutelage of a stern clan head, who drilled into his head the duty of a man born into the Hyuga family. _Love, trust and fight for the clan, and the clan only. _He never questioned the words of his superiors or their motives - it was unheard of. No matter how merciless his own family was to him, he still loved them all unconditionally.

But only now, at this very moment, the thick sheet of ice covering his mind, body and soul began to crack, leaving behind deep fissures of queries and suppressed thoughts. The taught string defining his utter devotion to his clan began to unravel. Why was his clan and village associated with the Akatsuki, the most fearsome cult to be formed in all of mankind's history? Why was it that this one girl, shimmering in an armour of silver, was able to break through the tough exterior of his mind and make him question his loyalties to the people who raised him?

"Who are you?" he had asked with a shaky hand. She replied with five words, _I'm just a nameless orphan. _Being orphaned was no joking matter, and Neji learned that many people around the world were orphans, so what made him or anyone else special? But with these five words, said with a steady voice and an unwavering stare, Neji knew that she was despairing inside.

"I'm an orphan, too," he said quietly. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, are you?" she sneered at him maliciously, not believing his words.

"My father," he looked at her closely. When he had let down her hair earlier, he saw stunningly delicate features framed by flowing, dark brown locks stretching down to the small of her back and a tanned, slender body - lithe and fragile. She was covered in scars and bruises when she held him in an arm-lock, Gensho tattoos intricately snaking around her arms in the manner a vine would wind itself around a tree. Now, covered in a sheet of shining metal, he could see no scratches, scars or bruises, but solid, metallic muscles gleaming underneath the sunlight, lighting up the tattoos all over her body in a harsh white glow.

"I only have my father now. My mother passed away several years ago," he stated firmly. He didn't want to pass off as weak or demure in front of a future ally.

Her expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault, and this," he took a cautious step towards her, and leveled the Akatsuki cape with their gazes, "wasn't your fault either, I sincerely apologise for wrongly accusing you of affiliating yourself with the Akatsuki."

Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she dismounted the metal armour from her body. it vanishes, as if into thin air, he noticed, but didn't think too much of it.

"Thank you, for doing that," she replied gratefully, "and please, don't mention this to anyone. I only know as much about this as you do, possibly less."

"You're welcome." Only now was he aware of the crowd that accumulated around them during their argument. He looked around at their bewildered faces and winced. What would the public think of him now that he was seen arguing and physically attacking an ally? He was the composed and highly regarded leader of Team Konoha, a prodigal member of the Hyuga clan, a role model for all to look up to and yet here he was, covered in grime, sweat and chocolate - all because of one girl, now that he thought about it.

A slow clapping sound resounded through the alleyway, catching the attention of the current crowd. It came from a tall, pale-faced boy with spiky black hair.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he spoke up, "wasn't _that_ a spectacular performance from our two teams!" The bewildered faces of the crowd slowly changed to those of amazement. "I hope you're all hyped for the final stage of this Tournament, because there's plenty more action where _this_ came from! Vote for Team Suna, we won't disappoint you." He finished with a merry laugh and the crowd dispersed, some shaking their heads in amusement and others excitedly running off to their companions, telling them about the performance they just witnessed.

"Sasuke-"

"Tenten," the boy suddenly turned around to face her, expression grave, "what the hell were you doing?"

* * *

Sasuke had the capacity to intimidate anyone and at anytime he wanted just as easily as he could charm them, Tenten realised. After he had dealt with the confused crowd, Sasuke turned on her with an accusatory glare and demanded an explanation as to what really happened. She recovered from her shock at seeing the crowd and calmly showed him the Akatsuki cape. His expression darkened at the sight of the symbol as he took it into his hands, _Akatsuki_, he had whispered under his breath, _it's a good thing the cloak was flipped around so no one could see it. _

She and Neji treaded carefully behind Sasuke on the way back to the Academy. The appearance of the article of clothing itself seemed to have a drastic effect on the Uchiha's overall mood, something Tenten rarely ever witnessed before that moment in time. Neji was the first to storm into his room when they reached the Left Wing of the school, mumbling something incomprehensible under his breath. The second was Sasuke, but not before telling them to meet up with him, clean and tidy, in twenty minutes with Neji in tow. Then, she hurried into her room, quickly greeting her perplexed roommate, and raced into the shower.

"Were you listening to a word I was saying, 'ten?"

Tenten blinked. "No?"

Sasuke sighed. "We have to do something about this...fiasco before anyone else finds out. I'm actually curious to know how that cloak got here."

Neji looked up from his menu and signalled for the waitress. "From what information we've already gathered, we know that Konoha and the Hyuga clan are a major part in this - tea, thank you - in this event."

Tenten shot Neji a disgusted look. "This restaurant is known for it's delicious Korean beef, and all you order for us is _tea_? Sasuke, tell me he's crazy."

"On the contrary, I like his drinking preferences. It's traditional, yet refreshing. I've never met someone who'd order tea straight up and not look at all the other temptations. Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke stuck out a pale hand, eyes urging Neji to shake it. He did so. "Hyuga Neji, pleasure to meet you."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Anyway, the cloak."

"What cloak?" A bright and cheery-looking girl with pink hair appeared from behind the doorway wearing a Gensho Leaf uniform.

"My father's cloak," Neji hastily answered, "we were just talking about how fantastic it looked last night at the Opening Ceremony. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Haruno Sakura. She's a very skilled medic and team member of my team." He shot Tenten and Sasuke a glance - _we'll talk later _- which they returned.

Sakura greeted them politely. "I believe we met last night, and didn't get off to a very good start. My name is Haruno Sakura."

"Tenten," she replied stiffly. Chirpy, gorgeous and glamorous girls never mixed well with Tenten. They always reminded her of Ino.

"Uchiha Sasuke, and it's a pleasure to meet you," he sent a wink her way and she blushed profusely, stumbling down to the seat beside Neji, and tilted her head downwards to hide her face. Neji lifted an eyebrow.

"Alright!" Tenten exclaimed abruptly, "let's have lunch, I'm starving, and we can get discounts now that there's four people here! Korean Barbeque for four, please - extra beef."

The waitress, having arrived with a tray of scalding hot green-tea cups and a dainty teapot, quickly scribbled down Tenten's order on a clean white notepad after distributing the porcelain cups around the table and filling them with tea. Tenten absentmindedly watched filmy wisps of smoke rise from the surface of the drink as the waitress walked away with her order.

"Tenten-san," an upbeat voice caught her attention, "that waitress is _so_ pretty!" Tenten looked up dazedly at the owner of the voice, Sakura, whose emerald-green eyes were wide with admiration. Tenten directed her gaze to the waitress, who was smiling brightly whilst serving at another table. Her hair was groomed back into a complex braid; an intricate swirl of golden-brown locks. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as she spoke, bringing a glow to her rosy cheeks and flawless skin. She was tall, Tenten noted, far taller than the rest of the staff, even in black flats.

Tenten sighed. Some people just had it all. The waitress walked into the kitchen and emerged a few minutes later with an extremely large batch of meat and side dishes. She cheerfully spread out the food on their table, animatedly telling Neji and Sasuke to 'eat up, boys, or else you'll never get anywhere in the Tournament'.

"Tenten, I doubt that overeating would do us any good either," Sasuke asked, bewildered at the thought of eating the mountain of beef frying merrily on the grill.

"I agree with Uchiha-san," Neji spoke up, "whilst it is important to eat regularly and in large quantities for athletes or for our training, maintaining a healthy balance of food every day would help our bodies function more efficiently."

Sakura was nodding resolutely at each of the two boys' statements.

"What, can't eat meat like men?" Tenten mockingly smiled at them, loading several portions of beef into her bowl, "I highly doubt you'd be able to "maintain a healthy balance of food" if all you drank every day was green tea," she pointed a fork accusingly at Neji, who looked taken aback at her words (as did Sakura), "not to mention we're all going to be training like mad for the next week, and then spend the remaining time of this month in some hostile place to battle and survive in. So, I think I made myself clear. _Itadakimasu_!"

Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, Tenten could see Sasuke rolling his eyes in defeat and helping himself to a freshly fried plate of meat. Sakura was sitting diagonal to her - beside Neji - and still blushing profusely, though she seemed to be eating well. Neji cleared his throat and downed a cup of hot tea.

"Tenten-san, you're enjoying your meal, I hope? I can always call the waitress back to deliver fresher meat to you. The restaurant seems to not be running on its usual high standards as of late." She raised an eyebrow. 'Enjoying' was an understatement, it was bloody delicious; far better than the dry and cracked meat she ate in Suna, and _much _better than the gruel her team ate on the bus before they arrived in Konoha. If this meat's, perfectly cooked and seasoned with the right amount of flavour, standards weren't high enough for this village, what on earth would Suna be like to them?

She scoffed, momentarily forgetting that her mouth was still full, and quickly swallowed it up. "No need, this is perfect. No offence, but you're all so pampered-looking...I'm willing to bet that none of your teammates have ever lived a day without eating a scrap of food before. Am I correct?"

"No, Tenten-san, we have not experienced the kind of lifestyle that you and your teammates have, so yes, you are correct." Judging by the underlying harshness of his tone, Neji evidently took offence to Tenten's statement, even though he responded politely; so she shut her mouth and kept eating, face flushed and focusing intently on the smooth wooden lines of the table.

"Sakura-chan," she heard Sasuke's purring voice call out to the pink-haired girl, "I believe we haven't had the chance to begin our tour yet. Shall we leave now?"

Even without glancing up, Tenten knew that Sakura was on the verge of erupting into loud squeals of joy. It happened every time Sasuke used that voice on any stranger girl. They soon left the room, leaving an awkward tension behind - an awkward tension comprising of a cold Hyuga Neji and a nervous Tenten. They continued to eat in rigid silence, looking up only when the pretty waitress arrived with their bill.

Side by side, they left the restaurant and wandered aimlessly around the village, Neji occasionally pointing out significant landmarks of the village. Tenten studied his features as he talked. Normally, she never did something that Ino would so openly do, but she couldn't help it - it wasn't every day she met a boy with long hair and girl's features. Though she had to admit, Neji looked ridiculous in the Gensho uniform; it was like seeing a modern building being built directly beside an old relic. The pale, white skin and aristocratic aspects of his face (of course, who could forget the long hair, tied in a neat knot near the ends) seemed to be more suitable with the traditional Hyuga robes she saw in ancient textbooks. The overall combination just clashed too much.

"I thought I told you to leave your hair down earlier."

"I had to tie it up when I was eating."

"Let it down again."

"Why? Why are you so determined to see me with my hair down? I like it up in two buns like this, it's neat."

"They remind me of chocolate ice cream cones."

Tenten self-consciously held on to her two hairbuns with clenched fists. If they were anything like Neji described them, she resembled a goofy clown. Tenten hated clowns with a passion - there was an eerie quality about them she always found unnerving.

"I find that highly offensive."

"Then I highly encourage you to wear your hair down. I dare say, you look more like a lady and less like a child that way."

She couldn't help but blush at his words, however bluntly he complimented her. It was, after all, the first compliment she'd ever received from a boy her age.

"N-No" was the word she managed to stammer out in response. _Great job, Tenten. You just turned into that shy roommate of yours. _Neji frowned but didn't press any further into the subject.

"Was everyone on your team trained by the same person?" Tenten asked him curiously.

"No, we were all trained separately, but my cousin, Hinata - I'm sure you've met her, and I were the first of our clan to develop a Gensho ability, so we were trained by the same person."

"What about the others?"

"Nara Shikamaru never needed to be taught, although he had a wise mentor to guide him through his abilities.

"Haruno-san was specially chosen by her trainer and teacher, Principal Tsunade. Her strength and medical skills are...remarkable.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Neji started with a scowl, "was priviledged enough to have familial connections with the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya.

"Inuzaka Kiba was trained by the women in his clan. I believe his is a matriarchal one, specialising in animals - mainly dogs.

"Rock Lee... Shizune-san has informed me that your team has met his mentor. They have...eerily similar characteristics."

"Who was it?"

"Gai-san, a talented man who is frankly not lacking in energy despite his age."

"Oh," Tenten thought back to yesterday, when she first arrived in Konoha and encountered the hyperactive man at the entrance. "The big green dude."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Neji's face. "Yes, Tenten-san, if you put it that way. He is 'the big green dude', although he frequently refers to himself as Konoha's Green Beast."

"No way, and Rock Lee is exactly like him?"  
"Yes, he is."

Tenten winced and inwardly praised Neji for his enduring patience. Two overly-energetic men dressed in tight green jumpsuits with sparkling teeth and boisterous voices would be far too much for her to handle. They neared the foot of the Hokage Monument just as the sun began to lower itself from the sky, leaving a hazy red-orange glow on the four stone faces overlooking the village.

"What about your team? Were they trained like mine?" Neji inquired.

"No," she started softly, "we were all trained and chosen by one person."

"And who was that?"

"Gaara's father - the Yondaime Kazekage." Neji stumbled a bit on the first step.

"All trained? By the illustrious Yondaime Kazekage himself?" Tenten bit back a laugh at his astonishment. Few knew how dedicated Gaara's famous father was to Team Suna; that he spent every second of every day adjusting their stances and techniques, making sure they were comfortable in their own homes, or how he emotionally and financially supported the families of the team of teenagers he was grooming to enter the Tournament exclusively. After all, how ridiculous was the thought that the most powerful man in Sunagakure was doting on seven volatile teenagers?

"Yup," she made a popping sound at the 'p', "ah, crap. How long do these stairs go on for? I'm pretty sure we've been climbing up for five hours already."

"Two minutes. We only have about ten more minutes to go, if we walk quickly."

"What if I run?"

Neji looked at her quizzically, then smirked. "One."

"Well then," she stretched out her legs and arms, grinning manically at Neji, "See you at the other side, Hyuga."

And dashed off laughing, not caring to see whether he really did follow, or whether she would be insanely out of breath by the time she arrived at the Academy, or that a boy standing a just few steps behind them, bearing a tattoo above his brow, silently vanished from behind Neji with a sullen look on his face.


End file.
